Using SteamVR with Windows Mixed Reality

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Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR allows users to run SteamVR experiences on Windows Mixed Reality immersive headsets. Afterwards installing the Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR, users can launch their favorite SteamVR applications from their desktop or Steam library and play them directly on their Windows headset.

Get your PC prepare

  • Brand certain you have no awaiting updates: Select Start > Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. If updates are available, select Install now. If no updates are available, select Check for updates, and and so install any new ones.
  • PC requirements vary for the apps and content on Steam. See the minimum requirements per title. A PC with a GTX 1070 graphics bill of fare (or equivalent) and an Intel® Core™ i7 processor should offer a skilful feel for a wide range of titles.
  • Ready up up Windows Mixed Reality if you haven't already.

Gear up Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR

  1. Download and install SteamVR.
  2. When ready, starting time SteamVR. The SteamVR Tutorial should start automatically.

Note: For avant-garde troubleshooting of your SteamVR setup, make sure you accept the following software components installed:

  1. Install Steam and login or create a new account.
  2. Install SteamVR. With your headset plugged in, launch Steam and yous should come across a dialog prompting you to install SteamVR. Follow the prompts on the dialog to install it. * If you don't run across the popup, install SteamVR by navigating to the Tools department of your library. Locate SteamVR in the list and then right-click and select Install Game.
  3. Install Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR.

Set up Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR in an surroundings without internet access

Store the necessary media on a portable storage device

  1. Install SteamVR and Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR as directed in a higher place using Steam on a PC with total internet access.
  2. In Steam, open the Library section and discover the office labeled "Tools".
  3. Once SteamVR is installed, correct-click the entry "SteamVR" and in the resulting popup carte du jour, click on the entry "Properties".
  4. A new window with multiple tabs will open up. Select the tab "LOCAL FILES" and click on the button labeled "BROWSE LOCAL FILES".
  5. The directory containing the SteamVR Runtime will open up. Re-create this entire directory (named SteamVR) onto a portable medium of your pick (e.m. a USB pollex drive).
  6. Practice the same with Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR, and any SteamVR-compatible apps you would like to install on the target PC.

Run SteamVR on the target PC

  1. After plugging the portable storage device into the target PC, move the SteamVR, MixedRealityVRDriver, and other folders to a convenient place on the target PC. SteamVR and Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR installed on target PC

  2. Ensuring SteamVR and MixedRealityVRDriver are in the same folder, open a command prompt. For the sake of this example, we volition assume the containing binder is at C:\SteamVRInstall. In that case, in the control prompt you should run:

              chdir "C:\SteamVRInstall" .\SteamVR\bin\win64\vrpathreg.exe adddriver "C:\SteamVRInstall\MixedRealityVRDriver"

(Notation that if you're running a 32-bit version of Windows, the win64 part of the path above should be win32 instead.)

This volition allow the runtime to find the Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR commuter in your custom installation.

  1. In social club to run SteamVR you should double-click the file "vrstartup.exe" located at SteamVR\bin\win64\vrstartup.exe, or SteamVR\bin\win32\vrstartup.exe if the target PC is running a 32-bit version of Windows.

See the Steamworks documentation page for more than information and troubleshooting.

Play SteamVR games

  1. Connect your headset to your PC and turn on your motion controllers.
  2. In one case the Windows Mixed Reality home has loaded and your controllers are visible, open the Steam app on your desktop.
  3. Use the Steam app to launch a SteamVR game from your Steam library.

Tip: To launch SteamVR games without taking off your headset, employ the Desktop app (Start > Desktop) to view and collaborate with your PC desktop inside Windows Mixed Reality.

Using Motion Controllers with SteamVR

You'll use your motion controllers differently in different games. Hither are a few basics to help you get started:

  • To open the Steam dashboard, press straight down on the left or right thumbstick.
  • To exit a SteamVR game and return to the Windows Mixed Reality home, press the Windows button.

Changing the resolution

Y'all can adjust the Application Resolution slider in the SteamVR -> Settings -> Applications window at whatever time if yous'd like to play games at a college resolution. **When using a college resolution multiplier yous can expect the game to put more strain on your PC. If you increase the multiplier and encounter degraded performance, readjust the slider to the default level and restart the game to ensure that the modify takes effect.Adjust Application Resolution

Using multiple headsets

If you lot're a VR enthusiast, you lot might regularly utilise more than one VR headset on the same PC. If that'due south the case note that when a Windows Mixed Reality headset is plugged in, SteamVR games will always launch to the Windows Mixed Reality headset. If you'd similar to launch SteamVR games on another headset make sure to outset unplug the Windows Mixed Reality headset before standing.

Preview programs

We release regular updates to improve the functioning, reliability, and overall experience of using SteamVR on Windows Mixed Reality immersive headsets. While none of these preview programs are required, we encourage you to bring together them if you would like to get updates sooner and more oftentimes (and give u.s.a. feedback on those updates!).

Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR Beta

Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR is the component you install from the Steam Shop that enables SteamVR to work with your Windows Mixed Reality headset. Nosotros publish updates to this "bridge" regularly and Steam installs them automatically.

If you desire to get updates more frequently, we encourage you to join our public Beta. Updates go to our Beta audience beginning, and we use their feedback to make sure the updates are high quality earlier publishing them to all users. If you're not in our Beta plan, you'll eventually get all of the same fixes and features, simply afterwards they've been tested by our Beta users.

To join:

  1. In Steam, use the drop-downwards under the Library menu to filter to Software.
  2. In the list, right-click Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR and select Properties.
  3. Select the Betas tab.
  4. Opt in to "beta - public beta" and select Close to ostend. The beta admission lawmaking field should exist left blank.

SteamVR Beta

SteamVR is built and released by Valve and is common across all SteamVR headsets. It follows a like model of releasing updates to Beta members before publishing to all users.

To join:

  1. In Steam, utilise the driblet-down nether the Library carte du jour to filter to Tools.
  2. In the list, correct-click SteamVR and select Properties.
  3. Select the Betas tab.
  4. Opt in to "beta - public beta" and select Close to confirm. The beta access code field should be left bare.Switch to the SteamVR beta in the properties dialog for SteamVR

Windows Insider Program

Windows Mixed Reality is a role of Windows 10 and Windows eleven. Many fixes and features that bear upon SteamVR users come with the Windows OS. If you want to try the latest Windows 10 and Windows 11 preview builds, nosotros encourage you to bring together the Windows Insider Programme.

Enabling motility reprojection for SteamVR Apps

Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR has an experimental motion reprojection feature to make 90 FPS reprojection more smooth.

When motion reprojection is enabled, all Steam VR games will render nominally at ½ frame rate (45 fps instead of ninety FPS) while Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR uses motion vectors generated past the GPU to extrapolate the next frame. For SteamVR games that reliably striking threescore FPS+ on a given PC, this should result in a solid 90 FPS experience with occasional artifacts while maintaining a comfortable experience.

The available motion reprojection modes are as follows:

  • SteamVR per-app setting: Allows y'all to control movement reprojection through the SteamVR Settings UI. You lot can then open SteamVR Settings, go to Video > Per-Application Video Settings, and select an option for "Motion Smoothing."
  • Auto: Enables motion reprojection to plow on automatically when a game is rendering also slowly to maintain 90 FPS. When a game begins to maintain ninety FPS or starts rendering at less than 45 FPS, motion reprojection will turn off. Asynchronous rotational reprojection is enabled always.
  • Motion Vector: Forces the application to always run at half-framerate with motion vector reprojection.
  • None: Disables motion reprojection.

Expected Visual Artifacts

  1. When using an application resolution greater than 150%, you may experience blurring. When using motion reprojection, we recommend using a value less than 150%.
  2. Abrupt contrast edges or text, especially on in-game HUDs or menus, may look temporarily warped or distorted because of disocclusion.
  3. SteamVR Habitation and many other games that don't reliably striking 50-60 FPS on your PC volition continue to have a poor experience with this way.
  4. Some games accept been reported to run at 50% speed or with increased latency (lag). Written report these games through the Windows Feedback Hub instructions beneath.

Initially we have experimental support for contempo generation NVidia GPUs. Nosotros're continuing to iterate and amend our motility reprojection support on more than GPUs, and we're eager to hear your feedback.

Supported GPUs: Nvidia GeForce GTX1060, AMD RX470 or better, with Windows Mixed Reality uniform graphics drivers installed.

To enable motion reprojection:

  1. Make sure you've opted into the Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR Beta using the instructions above.
  2. Open the SteamVR dashboard.
  3. Select the push button on the left side with the Windows Mixed Reality logo to open Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR Settings.
  4. In the UI that pops upwardly, select the Graphics tab.
  5. Select "Auto" for "Default SteamVR app motility reprojection mode" to enable automatic move reprojection.

Enable LSR & LSR Indicator with SettingsUX

Movement Reprojection Indicator

The motility reprojection indicator helps diagnose issues with the experimental automatic move reprojection feature. When prepare to truthful, you'll see an indicator in the superlative-left of your headset display during automated motion reprojection. The color and position of this indicator corresponds to the current motion reprojection mode - run into the diagram below for examples.

mvLSR Indicator

Green = motion reprojection is off because the application tin can render at full framerate.

Cyan = motion reprojection is on because the application is cpu bound.

Blueish = motion reprojection is on because the application is gpu bound.

Red = motion reprojection is off because the application is running at less than half framerate; effort reducing super sampling if enabled.

Dark-green + Cyan + Blue = motion reprojection is in half-framerate mode or the application requested move reprojection.

Sharing feedback on SteamVR

Your feedback is invaluable when it comes to improving the Windows Mixed Reality SteamVR experience. Submit all feedback and bugs through the Windows Feedback Hub. Follow these suggestions to help us get the nearly from your feedback:

  1. In Feedback Hub, indicate that you're reporting a new Trouble in the "What kind of feedback is it?" section at the meridian.
  2. Select the Mixed Reality category and the Apps subcategory.
  3. Put the word "SteamVR" in the problem summary. That helps usa find your feedback.
  4. Draw what SteamVR game or application you were using when you come across the issue.
  5. Consider attaching a SteamVR System Report to your feedback. This provides more logs that can help us diagnose your problem.
    1. On the SteamVR Window (the small windows that shows your controller condition) select on the title to open the carte du jour.
    2. Select "Create System Study".
    3. Save to File.
    4. Attach the generated file to your Feedback Hub entry directly.
  6. If your feedback is almost SteamVR operation, collect a Mixed Reality Operation trace:
    1. Select the Recreate my Problem button.
    2. In the drop-down next to "include information about", select Mixed Reality Operation.
    3. Make sure the game is running and select Start Capture.
    4. Spend a few seconds playing the game to capture the trace. Don't capture the trace for more than 10-15 seconds, or information technology volition be likewise large to submit.
    5. Select Finish Capture.
  7. Select Submit once you've completed the rest of the fields.

If you have questions or comments to share, y'all tin can also accomplish u.s. on our Steam forum.

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