For those seeking new way to bring immersion to their porn watching experience, there’s good news: Badoink has announced it is currently selling Oculus Virtual Reality headsets preloaded with porn. The Oculus Go’s “Porn-In-a-Box” package features a 32 GB Oculus Go and limited access to Badoink’s VR porn library, accessible by a pre-installed, PIN-controlled app.
Introduction of this package may reflect Oculus’ acknowledgement that the headset is being used for porn viewing. While the Facebook Oculus app store bans adult content, the headset is designed to allow for the downloading of adult content via a built-in web browser. It is also easy to hack the Oculus Go to sideload content from a PC or Mac, using the headset’s USB port and provided charging cable.
The Oculus Go term of service explicitly states that the headset “may not use or promote sexually explicit, abusive or obscene content.” Facebook’s anti-porn stance stems from the service’s commitment to combat sexual violence online. Per one report from the Guardian, in 2017, Facebook dealt with 54,000 cases of digital sexual assault – including “sextortion” and revenge porn – per month.
Facebook, however, has differentiated between sexual violence and sexual expression. “Keeping people on Facebook safe is the most important thing we do,” said Monika Bickert, head of global policy management at Facebook, to CNET. “We work hard to make Facebook as safe as possible while enabling free speech.”
It is unclear if Badoink has obtained Facebook’s permission to resell the Oculus Go.
Adult VR seems to have settled on the Oculus Go as its platform of choice. Created by Oculus VR – a fully-owned subsidiary of Facebook – the Go is an entry-priced standalone VR headset that does not require a computer or smartphone to work.
Equipped with a 5.5-inch screen, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor – the same class of processor used in the HTC U Ultra and the Google Pixel – and 3-axis motion tracking, the Oculus Go outpriced the Hologram, a VR headset specifically designed for porn viewing. The Oculus Go’s low price point and non-reliance on other devices has presented the device as an affordable all-in-one-option.
The porn industry has looked at alternative content delivery models, such as VR and augmented reality, as potential profit-drivers for several years now. Naughty America, for example, has introduced its Android AR app, which would show preloaded clips imposed on real-time video. The app allows users to create a virtual naughty America strip club wherever they wish.
“We expect it to serve as a major gateway to our content,” said BadoinkVR head of production Xavi Clos in an interview with Variety. “The Oculus Go is the perfect porn device.”
“Porn-In-a-Box” users would be able to access clips from Badoink’s BadinkVR, BabeVR, VRCosplayX, and 18VR libraries. Access to the clips would only be possible using a private PIN. Badoink has promised regular updates of the available selection. A subscription to Badoink’s full library is not available for the “Porn-In-a-Box” platform but may be offered in the future.
The “Porn-In-a-Box” package is being offered for $329.98. A base model 32 GB Oculus Go is currently being sold by Amazon.com for $199.00.
