Popular social VR app soon available for kids again on Quest 2
Rec Room is bringing back Junior Accounts and will soon be officially open to those under the age of 13.
Previously, Meta's Quest 2 and Quest Pro VR headsets could only be officially used by those 13 and older. As a result, kids under 13 were not allowed to create their own accounts or use social VR apps like Horizon Worlds, VRChat, or Rec Room through Quest VR headsets. This will change later this year. Rec Room has already announced plans to bring back special accounts for kids under 13.
Junior Accounts coming back
Rec Room will soon bring back its Junior Accounts. CEO Nick Fajt confirmed this to UploadVR. "We think they’re a great safety feature for children, and we’re excited to be able to bring them back to the quest platform," Fajt said.
Junior accounts are restricted by Rec Room to better protect children between the ages of ten and twelve from abusive behavior by other users.
For example, Junior Account usernames cannot be chosen freely, but are randomly generated. Children cannot listen to or send audio messages, nor can they send or receive text messages. Access to certain tools is also restricted.
Meta lowers minimum age for Quest VR headsets
Late last year, Rec Room had to remove junior accounts at the insistence of Meta. The reason for this was the official minimum age of 13 to use a Meta Quest (2) or Quest Pro.
The return of junior accounts is made possible by Meta's official lowering of the minimum age for Meta Quest 2. Later this year, special Meta accounts will be introduced that will allow children between the ages of 10 and 12 to use the VR headset.
There will also be security features. The accounts will be fully parent-managed. Only the parent or guardian will be able to set up the accounts and determine, for example, how long a child can stay in virtual reality per day and which VR apps they can use.
Note: Links to online stores in articles can be so-called affiliate links. If you buy through this link, MIXED receives a commission from the provider. For you the price does not change.
