Okay, so I factory reset the thing, and to use the headset at all, the setup requires that you have to log in with at least a Meta account (only an email address needed, no Facebook), and you have to pair it with an app on your phone that controls things like developer mode. There’s no way around it, the first thing you are greeted with in the headset is a pairing code for the app, and you need the app to make the headset work afaict. I didn’t investigate if there’s a desktop app or web app.
Side note, apparently developer mode now requires a phone number or credit card attached to the account. Maybe a vanilla visa could work, not sure. I’ve already bought stuff through the quest store, so enabling developer mode was just a click for me. I used developer mode to install sidequest just now to see what it’s about, but neither it nor developer mode are needed for Steam link.
Mayyybe you could make a Meta account with an email address made just for the headset, maybe run the Android app in an emulator, but that would be a bit of a hassle imo. I suppose you could isolate the headset into a subnet, or it’s own SSID if you’ve got the gear for that, and keep it quarantined most of the time and just let it reach out here and there for updates, but who knows if it blurts out any collected telemetry while it gets the update. You may not have to let it out for updates at all however; when I booted into factory reset there was a “sideload updates” option, so maybe you could update it manually offline.
Honestly, as good as this headset is for the price, if I were concerned with absolute privacy, I would just cough up the dough for a competitors OLED unit. I could spend all of the hours I was frigging around with the headset doing OT at work instead, and just use that money to get something better without the pain and hassle. I get that’s not an option for everyone though.
Perhaps as an affordable compromise, if you don’t mind temporarily leaking a little data to Meta one time, you could do the normal setup but with an email just for the unit, install the app for 5 minutes on an old phone or tablet without a SIM for the setup, get Steam link on the headset, uninstall the app on the phone, and drop the headset into whatever Wi-Fi isolation you can conjure up. Maybe an isolated SSID or even easier, an affordable 5g router dedicated just to VR.
I don’t trust Meta either, but I gotta admit, it actually feels kinda neat to experience their $30 billion dollar metaverse disaster first hand while it’s still around to look at. For the record, the only protection I did was make a Meta account. I don’t use Facebook.
That sounds like a no for me then, I’m not installing an app from Meta on my phone. But it’s cool there’s an option to side load updates, maybe I’ll look around and see if anyone has rooted it to allow use without the app.
I’m happy to spend twice as much for something that I feel respects my privacy more. I’m looking at the Bigscreen Beyond (want to see it mature a bit more) and Valve index, but I’m not in a hurry since VR content is still pretty limited, especially on Linux (and no idea how well the Bigscreen works on Linux).
Huh, maybe I’ll check out a YouTube video or something.
The larger issue is that Linux-compatible games are fairly limited, so I’d mostly be getting it for messing around with developing VR games. I’m guessing I’d have a much better experience with an Index and SteamVR than with a Meta product, but $500 is probably worth a day or two of pain.
I’m fine giving Meta a throwaway email if it’s a one-time thing (or only when it needs updates), but there’s no way I’m installing an app on my phone or creating an account with them. I’m also not letting it touch the Internet once it’s setup, and I can handle the router config for that (it’ll just go on the same DMZ with my cameras).
No prob! I was curious how far I could get with a low-effort decoupling from Meta, and I’m sad it turns out that that’s not very far.
I updated my post a little with some more thoughts about the situation.
I think it would be cool to root it, but the hassle then to update it would be too much for me at least. And you would want the updates too because they are still adding improvements to things like controller motion tracking and whatnot.
I’m excited for what this quest version of Steam link can do for getting more VR content on Linux. Without the need for Linux drivers for the headset, it can just be streamed and the hardware work is done. Valve is clearly talented enough to get the software side working. It would be cool as hell to have a mode that turns the Steam Deck into a WAP (easy on Linux as you undoubtedly know) and you just connect your headset and start VR gaming from it.
Thank you for the discussion by the way. You’ve inspired me to drop my unit into its own SSID now, and log what it’s doing to keep an eye on it.
Okay, so I factory reset the thing, and to use the headset at all, the setup requires that you have to log in with at least a Meta account (only an email address needed, no Facebook), and you have to pair it with an app on your phone that controls things like developer mode. There’s no way around it, the first thing you are greeted with in the headset is a pairing code for the app, and you need the app to make the headset work afaict. I didn’t investigate if there’s a desktop app or web app.
Side note, apparently developer mode now requires a phone number or credit card attached to the account. Maybe a vanilla visa could work, not sure. I’ve already bought stuff through the quest store, so enabling developer mode was just a click for me. I used developer mode to install sidequest just now to see what it’s about, but neither it nor developer mode are needed for Steam link.
Mayyybe you could make a Meta account with an email address made just for the headset, maybe run the Android app in an emulator, but that would be a bit of a hassle imo. I suppose you could isolate the headset into a subnet, or it’s own SSID if you’ve got the gear for that, and keep it quarantined most of the time and just let it reach out here and there for updates, but who knows if it blurts out any collected telemetry while it gets the update. You may not have to let it out for updates at all however; when I booted into factory reset there was a “sideload updates” option, so maybe you could update it manually offline.
Honestly, as good as this headset is for the price, if I were concerned with absolute privacy, I would just cough up the dough for a competitors OLED unit. I could spend all of the hours I was frigging around with the headset doing OT at work instead, and just use that money to get something better without the pain and hassle. I get that’s not an option for everyone though.
Perhaps as an affordable compromise, if you don’t mind temporarily leaking a little data to Meta one time, you could do the normal setup but with an email just for the unit, install the app for 5 minutes on an old phone or tablet without a SIM for the setup, get Steam link on the headset, uninstall the app on the phone, and drop the headset into whatever Wi-Fi isolation you can conjure up. Maybe an isolated SSID or even easier, an affordable 5g router dedicated just to VR.
I don’t trust Meta either, but I gotta admit, it actually feels kinda neat to experience their $30 billion dollar metaverse disaster first hand while it’s still around to look at. For the record, the only protection I did was make a Meta account. I don’t use Facebook.
Thanks so much for trying it out!
That sounds like a no for me then, I’m not installing an app from Meta on my phone. But it’s cool there’s an option to side load updates, maybe I’ll look around and see if anyone has rooted it to allow use without the app.
I’m happy to spend twice as much for something that I feel respects my privacy more. I’m looking at the Bigscreen Beyond (want to see it mature a bit more) and Valve index, but I’m not in a hurry since VR content is still pretty limited, especially on Linux (and no idea how well the Bigscreen works on Linux).
Not trying to convince you or anything, but the pairing process can be done via web, without the installing the app.
Staying away from meta products is, in any case, a good idea.
Huh, maybe I’ll check out a YouTube video or something.
The larger issue is that Linux-compatible games are fairly limited, so I’d mostly be getting it for messing around with developing VR games. I’m guessing I’d have a much better experience with an Index and SteamVR than with a Meta product, but $500 is probably worth a day or two of pain.
I’m fine giving Meta a throwaway email if it’s a one-time thing (or only when it needs updates), but there’s no way I’m installing an app on my phone or creating an account with them. I’m also not letting it touch the Internet once it’s setup, and I can handle the router config for that (it’ll just go on the same DMZ with my cameras).
Thank you for that info, now that I know that, I’m gonna switch to web only.
No prob! I was curious how far I could get with a low-effort decoupling from Meta, and I’m sad it turns out that that’s not very far.
I updated my post a little with some more thoughts about the situation.
I think it would be cool to root it, but the hassle then to update it would be too much for me at least. And you would want the updates too because they are still adding improvements to things like controller motion tracking and whatnot.
I’m excited for what this quest version of Steam link can do for getting more VR content on Linux. Without the need for Linux drivers for the headset, it can just be streamed and the hardware work is done. Valve is clearly talented enough to get the software side working. It would be cool as hell to have a mode that turns the Steam Deck into a WAP (easy on Linux as you undoubtedly know) and you just connect your headset and start VR gaming from it.
Thank you for the discussion by the way. You’ve inspired me to drop my unit into its own SSID now, and log what it’s doing to keep an eye on it.