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Oculus Unfriendly to Families - Oculus Please Fix This

Tugennov
Explorer
I just got an Oculus Quest for my family of 5.  I was very disappointed to discover that you can only have one account on each device.  Moreover, in the (limited) number of games that I've tried so far, there are not multiple save files for the games.  So, effectively, this means that only one person can play a game at a time and not until that person has completed the game can the next person start playing the game or else the original player's game file will get copied over.  This is very unfriendly for families.  Maybe Oculus is trying to get us to buy multiple Quests, one for each family member, but we don't have that sort of money and most families don't.  This approach has already resulted in a negative vibe towards the system among a couple of my kids.  Oculus, I hope you change your approach and allow multiple accounts on a single quest (with game sharing) or at least require game developers to put several save game slots on their games.  This also is a problem on the Oculus Go that needs to be fixed.
81 REPLIES 81

I think your experience is pretty much the same as many people's @fabzo me included.

I've kind of just accepted that I'm either going to lose my place in a game or I need to finish it before passing my headset around for other people to have a go on.

At the moment, for whatever reason, developers aren't including multiple game save slots as a default feature. We're also not at the stage yet where multiple headsets in a household is the norm, and I think it's going to be some time before that's a thing. So (sensational thread title aside) an Oculus solution to this would be a very good move.

kojack
MVP
MVP
I've just been doing a little digging (to distract myself from work I really should be doing).
It seems Quest games store their data in /storage/self/primary/Android/data.
I just went in with an ADB shell and renamed the Beat Saber directory. Playing Beat Saber thought I was a new user. After finishing I renamed the directories again, and it restored my state. Although since there's a leaderboard based on account name, that doesn't help too much. But it may work with other games.
The directories don't need root permissions to rename them.

There's two ways I think this could be used:
- make a batch file on PC that calls ADB commands to select a profile. This would need developer mode turned on and your Quest plugged in.
- make a Quest app that does it locally. But that means making a VR UI, which I dislike doing.

Symbolic links would be great for this, but they can't be created at that location (not sure if a root permission thing or the file system. Probably the latter).

Author: Oculus Monitor,  Auto Oculus Touch,  Forum Dark Mode, Phantom Touch Remover,  X-Plane Fixer
Hardware: Threadripper 1950x, MSI Gaming Trio 2080TI, Asrock X399 Taich
Headsets: Wrap 1200VR, DK1, DK2, CV1, Rift-S, GearVR, Go, Quest, Quest 2, Reverb G2

I sadly have to agree with this thread (about Oculus being family-unfriendly that is).  It is one thing to not want to create a multi-profile feature, however it is another entirely to actively block ANY such tools that are made from working.  There was a tool called QuestASM that allowed for supersampling and multiple profiles, turns out that in v16 Oculus decided to add a "delete all non-owner users automatically' feature rather then focusing on positive things to add to the Quest.

Mourning_Knight
Protege

Zenbane said:


grayhaze said:

Multiple user accounts are currently the second most requested feature on Oculus' UserVoice, so there's clearly a desire for this feature from the masses, myself included. Letting someone try the Quest and being able to start an experience from the beginning without wiping out my existing progress is a pretty big deal, and something consoles have long supported. As Oculus seem to be positioning the Quest as a VR console, it makes sense that they'd support something like this.

https://oculus.uservoice.com/forums/921937-oculus-quest/suggestions/37711489-multiple-users



It's the Software Developers that need to allow for the multiple Save files. Also, Quest is not a console.


The Quest, by definition is most certainly a console. +

con·sole2
/ˈkänˌsōl/
noun
noun: console; plural noun: consoles
  1. 1.
    a panel or unit accommodating a set of controls for electronic or mechanical equipment.
    Similar:
    control panel
    instrument panel
    dashboard
    keyboard
    keypad
    cabinet
    dash
    • a small electronic device for playing computerized video games.
      noun: games console; plural noun: games consoles
    • a monitor and keyboard in a multiuser computer system.
      noun: games console; plural noun: games consoles
    • a cabinet for television or radio equipment.
    • the cabinet or enclosure containing the keyboards, stops, pedals, etc., of an organ.
  2. 2.
    an ornamented bracket with scrolls or corbel supporting a cornice, shelf, or tabletop.
  3. 3.
    a support between the seats of an automobile that has indentations for holding small items.

Zenbane
MVP
MVP

Mourning_Knight said:
The Quest, by definition is most certainly a console. +




There are lots of things in the world that can be considered a video game console if we go by strict definition and ignore modern day gaming console standards.

Kamotsusen
Explorer
The question if the Quest is a console or not.... *shakes head* whatever.

But looking at what the device is using and checking those features, it would not take much to observe that a Oculus Quest runs on android 7.1.1 and since Android 5.0 it supports multiple users. That the Oculus devs have not utilized this basic function is beyond me.

Zenbane
MVP
MVP


Oculus Quest runs on android 7.1.1 and since Android 5.0 it supports multiple users. That the Oculus devs have not utilized this basic function is beyond me.



Well again, the fact that the Game Devs have not utilized the basic function of "multiple game saves" should be beyond people as well.

But to your point about the Android supporting multiple users: it isn't so cut-n-dry if you read how it works:

If this was implemented on the Quest, each user would have to install the Quest App on their own profile. And each user would have to install each game on each profile. It doesn't work like the Nintendo Switch where you just buy the game once, install it once, and then play it under multiple profiles.

Not only would users start running out of memory space on their Quest very quickly, but they would still have to re-purchase each title in order to install it on their own personal Quest profile.

Point being, there's nothing about Android's multi-user features that would allow this to happen "by default." You can't just flick a switch to make all this magically work together. What would need to happen is that Oculus would have to update their own Platform to support multi-user accounts natively; completely independent of the OS.

I think that's something worth considering. And since people have been asking for this feature ever since the Rift CV1 release, I wouldn't be surprised if Oculus eventually provides this feature. But in the meantime... them Dev's need to support multiple save games.

Kamotsusen
Explorer

Zenbane said:

If this was implemented on the Quest, each user would have to install the Quest App on their own profile. And each user would have to install each game on each profile. It doesn't work like the Nintendo Switch where you just buy the game once, install it once, and then play it under multiple profiles.

Not only would users start running out of memory space on their Quest very quickly, but they would still have to re-purchase each title in order to install it on their own personal Quest profile.



As far I know the the multiple user function uses the same files for an app over all accounts, if one user updates the app then all users will notice their app updated as well. So storage should not be a huge issue.

In terms of license.... that's indeed something that can't simply be overlooked. Buying a game on one account would of course not guarantee that other accounts on the same device can access it. Google and Sony have pretty decent policies in place to support a family ecosystem.  The question if Oculus wants to rock the same values is ofcourse up to them. 

Zenbane
MVP
MVP


As far I know the the multiple user function uses the same files for an app over all accounts, if one user updates the app then all users will notice their app updated as well. So storage should not be a huge issue.




According to the release notes I provided from the Android site, App Data is not automatically shared over all accounts. Unless something has changed since Android OS version 5.0.

Moosebonsai
Explorer
This one user per headset situation is unacceptable.  I am very angry with Oculus.  I researched VR headsets very thoroughly, but I missed the fact that only one account can be used per headset.   If I had known this, I would not have purchased the Oculus Quest. 

We are quite the gamers in my household, which include my two teenaged sons and me.  We own several gaming systems, including the Wii, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Twitch, and a massive gaming/media computer homebrew with Steam accounts.  All those platforms have family sharing! ALL! ALL!

With the link cable, a carrying case, and individual headphones for each of us, I'm into it over $700.  For that much money, I could have bought the Vive Cosmos or even the Vive Pro Eye VR Headset.  The one account one headset can only be a money grab by Facebook and Oculus, trying to force families to buy multiple headsets and multiple copies of the same game.  

This one headset one account policy is a deal-breaker for me, a father of two.  If I can figure out how to return it all and recoup my money, I will.