VR mode crashing on startup with HTC Vive

[Crispy]

I wanted to try the VR mode. I tried a couple weeks ago and was able to load into the main menu but my controllers weren't being detected at all. Now when I try, the game crashes before I get that far. It keeps trying to run Vive Super Reality SR Runtime which seems to be Vive's eye tracking software. My headset is the cosmos which doesn't support eye tracking. Every time it tries to run this software, an admin permissions box appears and no matter if I click yes or no, the game will freeze and sometimes stop responding.

I have tried restarting my headset, restarting Vive console and SteamVR, verifying the game files, verifying SteamVR and Vive console's files. I have tried running the SR runtime software before launching the game. None of it has helped.

[Iggy_Pine]

Hey Crispy. Did you try OpenXR?

Go here: https://academy.vrex.no/knowledge-base/openxr/ and check for HTC Vive.

Lemme know if it helped.

[Crispy]

I have tried following both the Vive openXR instructions and the SteamVR instructions. In both cases, I still get constant prompts to allow SR Runtime whether I say yes or no to them. The game opens the loading screen, takes a very long time on that where it will often say the game is not responding. If I wait a couple minutes, I might get a single stationary frame of the menu which is barely loaded, doesn't cover 360, and won't update for several minutes still, all while Windows thinks the game isn't responding.

[Iggy_Pine]

Originally posted by Crispy:

I have tried following both the Vive openXR instructions and the SteamVR instructions. In both cases, I still get constant prompts to allow SR Runtime whether I say yes or no to them. The game opens the loading screen, takes a very long time on that where it will often say the game is not responding. If I wait a couple minutes, I might get a single stationary frame of the menu which is barely loaded, doesn't cover 360, and won't update for several minutes still, all while Windows thinks the game isn't responding.

Hey, OK, I tried to find several more solutions. Can you try to do these, just to make sure you did everything possible?

1. Verify OpenXR Runtime Settings:

• Ensure that your system is configured to use the correct OpenXR runtime. Sometimes, the system might point to an incorrect runtime, leading to crashes.
  
• Navigate to the Windows Registry Editor and check the following key:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Khronos\OpenXR\1
  
• Ensure that the ActiveRuntime value is set to:
  C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SteamVR\steamxr_win64.json
  
• If it points elsewhere, such as a Vive-specific runtime, update it accordingly.

2. Disable Vive Super Reality (SR) Runtime:

• Since your headset doesn't support eye tracking, the SR Runtime might be causing conflicts.
  
• Navigate to the list of installed programs on your computer and look for any software related to Vive SR Runtime.
  
• Uninstall or disable this software to prevent it from launching automatically.

The usual: Update Graphics Drivers:

• Outdated or corrupt graphics drivers can cause VR applications to crash.
  
• Completely remove old GPU drivers before reinstalling the latest ones. You can use tools like Display Driver Uninstaller (https://www.guru3d.com/download/display-driver-uninstaller-download/) or boot into safe mode to delete GPU drivers from the Device Manager.

Check for Conflicting Software:

• Some software, especially those related to system performance or hardware monitoring, can interfere with VR applications.
  
• Ensure that you don't have any overclocking software installed (such as MSI Afterburner), as it can cause instability with VR applications.

Disable Hardware Accelerated GPU Scheduling:

• This feature can cause errors with VR applications.
  
• Navigate to your system's graphics settings and disable hardware accelerated GPU scheduling.

That's... about it. I don't know what else could make your VR crash. Please try to do these troubleshooting steps and report back if you got any positive result.

Thanks!

[Crispy]

Okay! Progress! I don't know which step did it but the menu now loads so I can see the menu just fine, no pop ups for SR runtime! However, my hands are stuck in the floor and not responding to my controllers despite them showing in my SteamVR and Vive overlays.

Thank you for your help so far by the way

[Mateja]

Hey Crispy,

the thing with hands on the floor can happen from time to time and usually rebooting your PC and headset solves the issue. Try and let us know.

[Iggy_Pine]

Originally posted by Crispy:

Okay! Progress! I don't know which step did it but the menu now loads so I can see the menu just fine, no pop ups for SR runtime! However, my hands are stuck in the floor and not responding to my controllers despite them showing in my SteamVR and Vive overlays.

Thank you for your help so far by the way

All right! At least we did something 😅

Regarding hands not working, yeah, we are aware of that issue. It's a common one with Vive.

Let's try the following:

1. Check SteamVR Controller Binding

• Open SteamVR Settings → Controllers → Manage Controller Bindings.
  
• Select the game in question and ensure the correct controller bindings are applied.
  
• If the current binding seems incorrect or blank, try resetting to default.
  
• Alternatively, select a community-made binding that matches their setup.

2. Restart SteamVR & Reconnect Controllers

• Completely close SteamVR and restart it.
  
• Turn off the controllers and turn them back on.
  
• If the controllers still don’t track properly, re-pair them:
  
• Go to SteamVR Settings → Devices → Pair Controller.
  
• Follow the on-screen instructions.

3. Delete the SteamVR Input Config Files

Sometimes corrupted input files can cause controller issues. To reset them:

• Navigate to:
  C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\config
  
• Locate and delete:
  steamvr.vrsettings
  chaperone_info.vrchap
  
• Restart SteamVR, and it will regenerate these files.

4. Re-enable OpenXR in SteamVR

Open SteamVR, go to Settings → Developer and set SteamVR as the OpenXR runtime (even if it was already set).

Let me know if any of these did any difference!

[Crispy]

Success! I struggled to change the controller bindings and the SR runtime prompts came back. I reinstalled the graphics driver to no effect and deleted the config files which I also think did nothing. I ended up deleting the folders SRanipal, ViveEyeSettings, and ViveEyeRegisterHelper in SteamLibrary\steamapps\commmon\VIVEDriver\App and the prompts have stopped and my hands work! I closed the game and reopened it and they still work and I completed the tutorial! Thank you for all your help

[Iggy_Pine]

Originally posted by Crispy:

Success! I struggled to change the controller bindings and the SR runtime prompts came back. I reinstalled the graphics driver to no effect and deleted the config files which I also think did nothing. I ended up deleting the folders SRanipal, ViveEyeSettings, and ViveEyeRegisterHelper in SteamLibrary\steamapps\commmon\VIVEDriver\App and the prompts have stopped and my hands work! I closed the game and reopened it and they still work and I completed the tutorial! Thank you for all your help

Woohoo! We nailed it dude! 😄🤜🤛

I'm really happy you managed to find a solution and that the game is working for you now!

Enjoy the game! 😊