Facebook will soon allow Oculus Go owners to do more with their virtual reality headset. Users will be able to sideload the unlocked version of the operating system from the company, which they can use to gain root access and do almost anything with the device.
This allows for hardware to be reused for other purposes. It also means that a randomly found shrink wrapped headset 20 years from now can update to the final version of the software long after the over-the-air updates servers have been shut down. John Carmack (@ID_AA_Carmack September 24, 2021
John Carmack, Oculus Consulting's Chief Technology Officer, made the announcement via a tweet that was spotted by The Verge. This applies only to Oculus Quest, not Oculus Go. Carmack clarified. He said that he had been advocating for the move for many years and that it took a lot more effort to get all the permissions required.
Oculus Go was discontinued by Facebook last year in order to concentrate on Quest headsets. However, it is nice to see that it still has the older model. Unlocked OS may ensure that Go headsets don't become obsolete.
Carmack noted that anyone who discovers an unopened Go in future can update the headset to the final OS version even after the servers have been closed. He expressed his hope that this will be a precedent for headsets not being supported in the future.
