Facebook will release Oculus Go soon. When a technology firm makes the announcement that one of its products is no longer supported, it is often time for it to go out of business. Firstly it means that there will be no future development updates, secondly, it means security updates will only come out for a certain period. That’s what happened with Facebook’s Oculus Go virtual reality glasses, although now that’s about to change.
Facebook to release Oculus Go
The Oculus Go was unveiled in 2017 and is the company’s first wireless model. It allows for more mobility and independence. However, three years later in 2020, they were discontinued. Facebook announced that the company will prioritize the Oculus Quest and whereas the Go would only receive security updates until 2022.
But there is good news, John Carmack, Oculus VR’s Consulting CTO, has announced that the glasses will be released. A firmware version will allow users to have root access to the device. The Oculus Go, suddenly, has a new life.
Root access will come via a side software update that can be installed on the virtual reality glasses. Developers will be able to modify and then release updates on their own to modify and enhance the capabilities of the Oculus Go, regardless of the limits that Facebook has so far been able to impose.
For now, it’s something Facebook is going to do only with the Oculus Go, according to John Carmack. “This is specific to Go, but I hope it sets a precedent” he stated on Twitter.
John Carmack and root access for users
It’s something John Carmack has long wanted to happen in the Oculus, according to his comments. As he rightly points out, this could set a precedent for future obsolete products to end up being released and with full root access for users.
Decades ago, John Carmack was the developer of legendary video games like Doom and Quake. The truth is that he has always been in favor of offering more to users and it is something we have seen for a long time. One of the most remarkable things he did was to release the source code of Doom, which has allowed the legendary game to be installed on different devices. The fans of the game have installed Doom on all kinds of devices, from oscilloscopes to pregnancy tests.
