Oculus has released a new update that future-proofs the Oculus Go headset. It now allows full root access for owners of the headset, providing them the ability to repurpose the hardware for other uses as well as use the headset without the need for a Facebook account.
Oculus also has a guide available for download that describes how to use the software on the Oculus Go device and gain low-level access. However, opening up the headset is irreversible and owners will no longer receive over-the-air updates. Additionally, the process described in the guide cannot be used on any other Oculus device or operating system.
As explained by Ars Technica, an unlocked Oculus Go headset will no longer check for a Facebook signature at the kernel level. This means that developers can create custom versions of low-level features like the app launcher.
Oculus CTO John Carmack announced last month that this update would be coming, hoping that even 20 years into the future, a randomly found brand new Oculus Go headset would still be able to update the final software version after the over-the-air servers inevitably shut down.
The Oculus Go headset was released back in May 2018. In IGN's Oculus Go review, Matt Elliot said, "Comfortable, convenient, wireless, and affordable, the standalone Oculus Go represents a big step forward in consumer VR."
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter at @yinyangfooey.
