Can Oculus Quest 2 overcome Facebook’s tarnished reputation?

Calling myself “deeply conflicted” about Facebook’s upcoming standalone VR headset Oculus Quest 2 would be an understatement. My long but imperfect memory can’t recall any device this compelling from such a seriously troubled company — one that’s hoping to win new customers even as employees keep jumping ship over crises of conscience. That polarized situation from a polarizing company makes the Quest 2 launch one of 2020’s biggest tech tragedies, despite the fact that I would normally be first in line to want one.

Facebook’s corporate transgressions have been hard to ignore for years. Whether you believe it actively participated in historically massive misinformation, disinformation, and polarization campaigns or was just a well-paid enabler that was all too willing to look the other way as bad things happened, the social media giant has been investigated, sued, and found guilty, at least in the court of public opinion. Despite Facebook’s promise to “bring the world closer together,” my own friend and family lists have been shattered by the insanity Facebook’s algorithms and business practices unleashed, so I’m proud — not happy — to have shut down my Facebook account and walked away from that network.