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. Afterward installing the Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR, users can launch their favorite SteamVR applications from their desktop or Steam library and play them direct on their Windows headset.

Get your PC set

  • Make sure yous accept no pending 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 then install whatsoever new ones.
  • PC requirements vary for the apps and content on Steam. Meet the minimum requirements per title. A PC with a GTX 1070 graphics carte (or equivalent) and an Intel® Core™ i7 processor should offer a good experience for a broad range of titles.
  • Set up up Windows Mixed Reality if you lot haven't already.

Set Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR

  1. Download and install SteamVR.
  2. When fix, start SteamVR. The SteamVR Tutorial should start automatically.

Annotation: For advanced troubleshooting of your SteamVR setup, make sure yous accept the post-obit software components installed:

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

Ready Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR in an environment without net access

Store the necessary media on a portable storage device

  1. Install SteamVR and Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR as directed above using Steam on a PC with full internet access.
  2. In Steam, open the Library section and notice the office labeled "Tools".
  3. One time SteamVR is installed, right-click the entry "SteamVR" and in the resulting popup carte, click on the entry "Properties".
  4. A new window with multiple tabs will open. Select the tab "LOCAL FILES" and click on the push button labeled "Browse LOCAL FILES".
  5. The directory containing the SteamVR Runtime will open. Re-create this entire directory (named SteamVR) onto a portable medium of your choice (e.chiliad. a USB thumb drive).
  6. Do the same with Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR, and whatsoever SteamVR-uniform 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 aforementioned binder, open a command prompt. For the sake of this example, we will assume the containing folder 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"

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

This will let the runtime to find the Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR driver in your custom installation.

  1. In order 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.

Encounter the Steamworks documentation page for more information and troubleshooting.

Play SteamVR games

  1. Connect your headset to your PC and plow on your movement controllers.
  2. Once the Windows Mixed Reality home has loaded and your controllers are visible, open up 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, use the Desktop app (Start > Desktop) to view and collaborate with your PC desktop inside Windows Mixed Reality.

Using Motion Controllers with SteamVR

Yous'll utilise your motion controllers differently in different games. Here are a few basics to help yous get started:

  • To open the Steam dashboard, press directly downwards on the left or right thumbstick.
  • To exit a SteamVR game and return to the Windows Mixed Reality abode, printing the Windows push.

Changing the resolution

Yous can adjust the Application Resolution slider in the SteamVR -> Settings -> Applications window at any fourth dimension if you'd like to play games at a higher resolution. **When using a college resolution multiplier you tin expect the game to put more strain on your PC. If you increase the multiplier and see degraded performance, readjust the slider to the default level and restart the game to ensure that the change takes effect.Adjust Application Resolution

Using multiple headsets

If you lot're a VR enthusiast, you might regularly utilise more than one VR headset on the same PC. If that's the example note that when a Windows Mixed Reality headset is plugged in, SteamVR games volition always launch to the Windows Mixed Reality headset. If you lot'd like to launch SteamVR games on another headset make sure to first unplug the Windows Mixed Reality headset before continuing.

Preview programs

We release regular updates to amend the operation, reliability, and overall experience of using SteamVR on Windows Mixed Reality immersive headsets. While none of these preview programs are required, we encourage y'all to join them if you would like to become updates sooner and more frequently (and give united states feedback on those updates!).

Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR Beta

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

If you desire to get updates more ofttimes, we encourage yous to join our public Beta. Updates go to our Beta audience starting time, and we use their feedback to make certain the updates are loftier quality before publishing them to all users. If yous're not in our Beta program, you'll somewhen get all of the aforementioned fixes and features, merely after they've been tested past our Beta users.

To join:

  1. In Steam, use the drop-downwards under the Library menu to filter to Software.
  2. In the list, correct-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 confirm. The beta admission code field should be left blank.

SteamVR Beta

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

To join:

  1. In Steam, use the drop-down under the Library menu to filter to Tools.
  2. In the list, correct-click SteamVR and select Backdrop.
  3. Select the Betas tab.
  4. Opt in to "beta - public beta" and select Close to confirm. The beta access code field should exist left bare.Switch to the SteamVR beta in the properties dialog for SteamVR

Windows Insider Program

Windows Mixed Reality is a part of Windows ten and Windows 11. Many fixes and features that affect SteamVR users come with the Windows OS. If you desire to try the latest Windows x and Windows 11 preview builds, we encourage you to join the Windows Insider Program.

Enabling motion reprojection for SteamVR Apps

Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR has an experimental motion reprojection feature to brand xc FPS reprojection more polish.

When motion reprojection is enabled, all Steam VR games will render nominally at ½ frame rate (45 fps instead of 90 FPS) while Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR uses motility vectors generated past the GPU to extrapolate the next frame. For SteamVR games that reliably hit 60 FPS+ on a given PC, this should result in a solid 90 FPS feel with occasional artifacts while maintaining a comfy experience.

The available movement reprojection modes are as follows:

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

Expected Visual Artifacts

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

Initially we have experimental support for recent generation NVidia GPUs. We're standing to iterate and improve our motion 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 compatible graphics drivers installed.

To enable motion reprojection:

  1. Make sure you've opted into the Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR Beta using the instructions in a higher place.
  2. Open up the SteamVR dashboard.
  3. Select the 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 up, select the Graphics tab.
  5. Select "Automobile" for "Default SteamVR app motion reprojection way" to enable automatic motion reprojection.

Enable LSR & LSR Indicator with SettingsUX

Motion Reprojection Indicator

The motion reprojection indicator helps diagnose issues with the experimental automated motion reprojection feature. When fix to true, you'll see an indicator in the tiptop-left of your headset display during automatic motion reprojection. The color and position of this indicator corresponds to the current movement reprojection mode - see the diagram below for examples.

mvLSR Indicator

Dark-green = motion reprojection is off because the application tin can render at full framerate.

Cyan = move reprojection is on because the application is cpu spring.

Blue = motility reprojection is on because the application is gpu bound.

Cerise = motion reprojection is off considering the application is running at less than one-half framerate; attempt reducing super sampling if enabled.

Greenish + Cyan + Blue = motion reprojection is in one-half-framerate mode or the awarding requested motion 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 assist us become the most 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 pinnacle.
  2. Select the Mixed Reality category and the Apps subcategory.
  3. Put the discussion "SteamVR" in the problem summary. That helps us detect your feedback.
  4. Describe what SteamVR game or application yous were using when y'all come across the outcome.
  5. Consider attaching a SteamVR Arrangement Report to your feedback. This provides more than logs that can help united states of america diagnose your problem.
    1. On the SteamVR Window (the small windows that shows your controller status) select on the title to open the menu.
    2. Select "Create Arrangement Report".
    3. Save to File.
    4. Attach the generated file to your Feedback Hub entry directly.
  6. If your feedback is nearly SteamVR performance, collect a Mixed Reality Functioning trace:
    1. Select the Recreate my Problem button.
    2. In the drop-down next to "include data most", select Mixed Reality Performance.
    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-fifteen seconds, or it will be too big to submit.
    5. Select Stop Capture.
  7. Select Submit once you've completed the rest of the fields.

If you lot take questions or comments to share, you can also achieve united states on our Steam forum.

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