Oculus VR DRM Is Cracked In Just 24 Hours

Oculus headset owners have been warned against installing unauthorised Virtual Reality (VR) apps after hackers were able to crack the company’s new proprietary software.

The Facebook-owned firm had looked to restrict apps and services to the company’s products with the release of new DRM (digital rights management) software on Friday in a bid to reduce piracy.

However, developers were able to circumvent this just 24 hours later, meaning that apps that were previously only playable on Oculus hardware can now be used on other devices, including the rival HTC Vive.

‘No other way’

This cross-platform functionality is enabled by a service called Revive, which released an updated version following the DRM release that is able to bypass the “platform integrity checks” carried out by Oculus devices.

The DRM release had been met by scepticism by the VR community, particularly after Oculus CEO Palmer Luckey said that his company’s products would be open.

The updated version of Revive is now available for users to download on Github now, accompanied by a note from the developer explaining its release.

“I really didn’t want to go down this path, but I feel there is no other way,” said Revive’s author LibreVR.

“This release bypasses the Oculus Platform DRM in Unreal Engine games, so the entitlement check doesn’t fail because the headset isn’t connected. I still do not support piracy, do not use this library for pirated copies.”

Originating via Kickstarter and costing around £499 in the UK, the Oculus Rift was one of the first VR headsets to grab the public’s attention. Able to link up to Windows PCs and Microsoft’s Xbox console, the device offers hundreds of immersive experiences and games

HTC’s Vive is also looking to capitalise on early interest for VR, and shifted 15,000 units within 15 minutes in the UK back in March. General sale starts this month, with handsets costing £689.

What do you know about virtual reality? Try our quiz!