How to try SteamVR (Updated)

[Programmer Joe]

There have been many fixes to VR mode in Steam lately and the old instructions are now completely useless, so it's time for a new thread.

To try VR mode in Steam:

1. Hook up your HMD
   
2. Run Steam
   
3. Pick "Virtual Reality Mode" from the "View" menu

VR mode is supported on all clients on Windows and in the current client beta on OSX and Linux. To opt-in to the client beta look in Steam->Settings and then change your beta participation. The current beta also includes some bug fixes to make SteamVR work better on WIndows.

[Mutated Plush]

._.

THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[wt7]

Where to get an Alpha/Beta Valve HMD?
DK1 sits in it's box and will stay there.

[FictionX]

Virtual Reality Mode does indeed work now in the beta client (and movement is no longer inversed).

However, with the beta enabled, I can't activate VR in HL2. Even if I opt out of the Steam Client Beta and back in, and try to activate VR in HL2 directly from the 2D menu, it says "Unable to get VRMode adapter from OpenVR. VR mode cannot be enabled. Try restarting and then enabling VR again."

[Programmer Joe]

@FictionX: Does it work if you run HL2 from Steam when it's in VR mode? What platform are you on?

[FictionX]

@Joe: If I start HL2 from VR Mode, it starts in 2D on my primary monitor, and the original VR screen keeps running in the rift (showing only "bubbles"). If I try activating VR in HL2 on my primary monitor, I get the "Unable to get VRMode..."-error mentioned earlier.

Another thing I noticed: It looks like the VR screen isn't properly aligned with the Rift. I can see a small part of it to the right on my primary monitor (the Rift screen is "to the right" of my main monitor), and I can see a small sliver of a double image in the rift.

I'm on Ubuntu 14.04 64 bit using a GeForce GTX 470 and 337.25 drivers.

[Mutated Plush]

@Joe Are you working on a fix for SteamVR where you don't have to disconnect your HDMI cable for your oculus rift then reconnect it every time before you open steam?

[FictionX]

Thanks for fixing the problem with HL2 starting in 2D, Joe.

The VR Screen placement is still wrong for me, though... I'm not sure if I'm the only one with this problem? : https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/199065/SteamVRoverlap.jpg
HL2 doesn't have this issue.

[devilkiller]

@Joe Will HL2 support Oculus Rift DK2 when it is released and will it have positional tracking?

[CrazyCanadian]

Hey, works well with me, thanks Joe!

[76561198136543854]

can i try vr mode without the oculus? i have a diy hmd so how can i try it?

[Zav]

I'm on a Mac in 10.8.5. There is no "Virtual Reality Mode" in the View menu. My Oculus is hooked up ala HDMI through the minidisplay port/thunderbolt port and works fine with the Oculus demos.

In TF2, the video options will never let me select the Oculus. It's always "Disabled".

Any ideas on how to proceed?

[Zav]

In Big Picture mode on the Mac, how do we join the Steam VR Beta? It asks for a beta password. What's the process here?

[Programmer Joe]

Publicado originalmente por Zav:

I'm on a Mac in 10.8.5. There is no "Virtual Reality Mode" in the View menu. My Oculus is hooked up ala HDMI through the minidisplay port/thunderbolt port and works fine with the Oculus demos.

In TF2, the video options will never let me select the Oculus. It's always "Disabled".

In the TF2 console (or the Steam console) there should be a message about being unable to find an HMD that includes an error code. That will also appear in your Steam log directory (~/Public/Application Support/Steam/logs) in files that end in _vrclient.txt. What is the error number?

[Zav]

Thanks Joe. It's 301. Here is the full output that appears when I go to Options. FYI, this is a fresh install of Steam and TF2 as of last night.

Unable to initialize HMD tracker. Error code 301
Unable to initialize HMD tracker. Error code 301
--- Missing Vgui material vgui/crosshairs/
ConVarRef hap_HasDevice doesn't point to an existing ConVar
Unable to initialize HMD tracker. Error code 301
Unable to initialize HMD tracker. Error code 301

[Zav]

Oh, you might want to know that the directory you pointed me to does not exist. There is nothing in my ~/Public directory. Within ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/logs, there are files, but nothing with the file name of _vrclient.txt