Facebook’s parent company, Meta, recently announced its plan to make its popular Quest VR headsets more accessible to younger users. In a blog post, Meta stated that they will be lowering the recommended age for using the Quest VR headsets from 13 years old to 10 years old. This change is expected to take effect later this year and will apply to the upcoming Quest 2 and Quest 3 headsets, which are set to launch with a starting price of $499.

However, children between the ages of 10 and 12 will still need parental permission to set up an account and download apps on the headsets. Meta emphasized in their blog post that they will require preteens to obtain their parents’ approval, giving parents control over the apps their children can access from Meta’s app store. Additionally, Meta will use children’s ages to provide age-appropriate experiences by recommending suitable apps.

By lowering the age requirement, Meta hopes to generate more interest in VR headsets. The company’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, envisions the Metaverse as a fully realized digital world that transcends our current reality. Meta is investing billions of dollars in the development of the Metaverse, aiming to create a new computing paradigm. As part of its efforts to attract younger audiences, Meta has gradually reduced the minimum age for using its virtual reality apps. Earlier this year, the company announced that people under 18 could access Horizon Worlds, its virtual reality-based social network. However, after receiving input from two Democratic senators, Meta decided to suspend its plan to offer Horizon Worlds to teens aged 13 to 17. Currently, Horizon Worlds remains accessible only to users who are 13 years old or older.

Industry experts raise concerns that Meta’s decision to lower the minimum age for VR headsets may lead to new privacy and safety issues, both for parents and regulators. In recent years, there have been increasing reports of women experiencing sexual assault and harassment in virtual spaces. Despite these concerns, Meta argues that it provides the necessary tools to protect users within the virtual reality environment.