What you need to know
- Meta changes the social media accounts of its VR brand to Meta Quest.
- The change follows Meta's company rebrand that was announced in late 2021.
- No one liked it then, no one likes it now.
Facebook, or Meta, as it now likes to be called, is going through with the rebranding of its popular Oculus Quest 2 VR headset, changing the beloved name to "Meta Quest."
A cursory glance at all of the Quest's renamed social media accounts will show the same meme highlighting the decision between Oculus and Meta Quest. Probably because Meta finds it amusing to poke fun at our emotions and lighten the mood in an attempt to get us to go along with the name change. Well, Meta was wrong.
New Name. Same Mission. pic.twitter.com/USJafAPEdWNew Name. Same Mission. pic.twitter.com/USJafAPEdW— Meta Quest (@MetaQuestVR) January 26, 2022January 26, 2022
The response on social media has shown that fans are anything but amused, with people criticizing the move as a betrayal of the brand, with some asking why the company can't just keep the Oculus name under the Meta brand, similar to what it does with its other products like Instagram and WhatsApp. Others simply poke fun at it.
Ben Schoon, senior editor at 9to5Google, perfectly sums up the response to the rebrand in three words:
Nobody likes thisNobody likes this— Ben Schoon (@NexusBen) January 26, 2022January 26, 2022
Others are a bit more vocal about their dislike for the rebranding, prompting a response from the social team to try and quell their emotions:
We hear you. We all have a strong attachment to the Oculus brand, and this was a very difficult move to make. While we're changing the brand of the hardware, Oculus will continue to be a core part of our DNA and will live on in things like software and developer tools.We hear you. We all have a strong attachment to the Oculus brand, and this was a very difficult move to make. While we're changing the brand of the hardware, Oculus will continue to be a core part of our DNA and will live on in things like software and developer tools.— Meta Quest (@MetaQuestVR) January 26, 2022January 26, 2022
On Facebook (the app), things aren't any better. Fans have likened the new "Meta Quest" name to something that just sounds very wrong.
One response suggests the name change is an attempt to move the brand away from the negative reception around Facebook and how it handles consumer data:
Our Nick Sutrich points this out as a possible reason for the rebranding as well, explaining that it acts as a first step towards decoupling the best VR headset from Facebook. He highlights other moves the company is making, like removing the Facebook login requirement. However, he notes that Meta will take more than a name change to clean up its reputation.
Not to mention, Meta is throwing away a lot of search traffic in the process:
By changing the Oculus branding to Meta on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook they take a huge risk discoverability wise. Their timing just isn't the best with Playstation VR2 looming around the corner.By changing the Oculus branding to Meta on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook they take a huge risk discoverability wise. Their timing just isn't the best with Playstation VR2 looming around the corner.— Nathie (@NathieVR) January 26, 2022January 26, 2022
Regardless of the real reason, the move is leaving a bad taste in fans' mouths, and it's one that might take some time for us to chew up and swallow.
The same Quest with a new name
The Quest 2 is the best VR headset you can buy, thanks to its impressive specs and all-in-one design, meaning you don't need to plug it in to enjoy fun VR games like Beat Saber.
