HTC Vive on iMac Pro - nothing works

[kodensan]

After days of trial end error, reading forums, watching the few available videos and talking to Apple Care, I don't seem to have much options left. Would appreciate any help.

I'm used to Mac environtment and after Apple announced that iMac Pro will work with HTC Vive, I made the switch from my previous machine and bought both iMac Pro and HTC Vive.

First of all, Installation instructions begin with a link to ViveSense file that is PC-only exe file. So no macOS version.

Second, SteamVR setup that is available for macOS gets me nowhere past initialisation of HTC Vive (all the icons are green, the headset icon is green and at some point starts to slowly flash).

Whenever I try to update firmware of controllers or base stations, SteamVR crashes. Whenever I try to run Room Setup, SteamVR crashes. Actually, it seems like Room Setup starts, and after a millisecond crashes but still lingers in a system because after selecting it from menu after that I get "Application Already Running" error message. So here I am.

- The HTC Vive is fully functional, I tried it on a friend's PC - it installs and works as intended.
- I tried to set it up on a clean High Sierra, I have erased my iMac Pro completely for this.
- To connect Vive to my Mac I use official Apple HDMI to USB-C adapter (tried with and without plugging in it's additional USB-C power slot)

Can anyone please advise me on this?

Apple Care Support sends me to HTC and Steam. There is no answer from HTC, and I am deeply frustrated that Apple promoted iMac Pro's ability to work with HTC Vive and demonstrated it at all it's iMac Pro events. Perhaps I have a faulty iMac Pro, but Apple still insists that the problem is with SteamVR and HTC's lack of native macOS support.

I would appreciate any help. Thank you.

[Ɲøƈ]

So, why did you all make this terrible decision?

[Endorph1n]

WoooHoooo!!!! Well here's the update I hoped I would be bringing. After struggling with Steam for MacOS and Steam VR Beta which was very, very unstable and has very little content (actually it didn't stay stable enough for me to launch anything and the closest I got was looking at the VR grid dome for about 30 seconds before it crashed. I then persevered with a trial version of Parallels 14 and after much effort, and having borrowed some USB-Type C to HDMI and USB-Tyoe C to USB cables and trying some other versions of Thunderbolt adaptor ...guess what???? Nope still didn't work! I was pretty disappointed and began to think that I may actually take my new MacBook Pro with Vega 20 graphics back to the Apple store, admit defeat and purchase a Razer Blade 15 (despite the large green logo which wouldn't have created the right impression in work at all!) after all. Then as a last ditch effort I installed Windows 10 Oct 18 release from an ISO image from the Microsoft website in BootCamp. Once installed, up popped the Radeon Graphics settings window (I've always been an NVIDIA customer 'til now so I was pleasantly surprised at the clean lines and good functionality) and with some apprehension of my imminent failure I installed Steam and then Steam VR. And guess what - IT WORKED!!!!!!! Just like that - no messing about, and the performance is great! No discernable difference to my PC with an Nvidia GTX1070. I've just played the Portal inspired VR Tutorial without a glitch and I'm downloading Santa Simulator for the kids as I type this. The extra good news is that not only does it work just fine with the individual cables that I borrowed, but it also works just great with the standard (£75!!!) Apple Thunderbolt to HDMI and USB multi-adaptor too! So, I will be keeping my new MBP after all and now I can have fun with the kids on my Vive outside the confines of my small study where my PC resides. My final comment is that in spending considerable time searching the web for details I came across several articles reporting that OSX Mojave had native support for Vive Pro. Sometimes you just don't see what's staring you straight in the face...all articles relate to Vive PRO not the standard HTC Vive. So my bad for subliminally dismissing the evidence I perhaps didn't want to see! Nevertheless it's a happy ending and I think I am the first person on the internet to happily report that the HTC Vive works seamlessly on the Apple MacBook Pro 2018 with Vega 20 Graphics!

[MChmara]

I don't know what has happened since November of 2018 but I went to do some editing of 360 video in FCPX on my iMac Pro with Radeon Pro Vega 64 yesterday and it no longer works. None of the app/games I have work anymore either (Blobby Tennis, Electronauts, Gravity Sketch). Unity VR preview has also stopped working.

Before I took a break from the VR due to workload, these all worked perfectly before (including the FCPX output to VR headset) but now I just have a white screen on my Vive HMD. No connections have changed - I'm using a 4K USB-C to HDMI cable. Tracking works, sound's coming through to the HMD but no picture. Also SteamVR crashes on launch almost every time.

I was running High Sierra and thought maybe there was a Steam update that made that combo not work so have updated to Mojave. Did not solve the problem at all. Very frustrating.

[CREM]

Messaggio originale di MChmara:

I don't know what has happened since November of 2018 but I went to do some editing of 360 video in FCPX on my iMac Pro with Radeon Pro Vega 64 yesterday and it no longer works. None of the app/games I have work anymore either (Blobby Tennis, Electronauts, Gravity Sketch). Unity VR preview has also stopped working.

Before I took a break from the VR due to workload, these all worked perfectly before (including the FCPX output to VR headset) but now I just have a white screen on my Vive HMD. No connections have changed - I'm using a 4K USB-C to HDMI cable. Tracking works, sound's coming through to the HMD but no picture. Also SteamVR crashes on launch almost every time.

I was running High Sierra and thought maybe there was a Steam update that made that combo not work so have updated to Mojave. Did not solve the problem at all. Very frustrating.

Hi MChmara, I have the same problem. The screen stays black.
I have contacted Apple, they point towards steam. Steam tells me this is a developer beta and they can not give support for HTC Vive on Mac. (Apple advertises with this being the solution for VR editing in Final Cut)

I have reinstalled Steam, steam, reconnected every cable etc. nothing works.

Are more Mac users experiencing troubles with HTC Vive + Steam VR and Mac OS?

I run the latest version of Mac OS, final cut, steam .....

[Endorph1n]

Crem and MChmara - Only the Vive PRO (not the standard Vive) is supported on Mac and not very well. I wasted hours (days!!) on it myself. Having a standard Vive rig, I managed to get it working on my MacBook Pro by booting natively into Windows 10. Not much help if you wanted to use Final Cut but unfortunately standard Vive and Mac don't work.

[andrew.greenberger]

Messaggio originale di Endorph1n:

Crem and MChmara - Only the Vive PRO (not the standard Vive) is supported on Mac and not very well. I wasted hours (days!!) on it myself. Having a standard Vive rig, I managed to get it working on my MacBook Pro by booting natively into Windows 10. Not much help if you wanted to use Final Cut but unfortunately standard Vive and Mac don't work.

As of when? I had been using an original Vive for the past two years. Everything was working until about two weeks ago.

No support from Steam, either.

[Zardoz]

Hi all,
Judging by this thread, I'm one of the few people running an HTC Vive (original) on a Mac successfully, and doing work with it. Luckily, I have a version of SteamVR that I've archived, and it still works to this day (currently running the latest Mojave on a trashcan Mac Pro). Unfortunately, SteamVR development on Mac is a cluster****. There's no built-in way to NOT update SteamVR when you load up Steam, short of running in offline mode. So if they break something, and you're doing actual work, you're SOL.

My recommendation, for those of you using Final Cut Pro on a Mac, is to never run Steam at all past the initial install. Just use 'Output to VR Headset' from within FCPX, and it will load up SteamVR and it should work. I haven't been following the 'updated' versions of SteamVR lately, so I have no idea what the last working version was, but I've zipped up a working version to keep. If I accidentally update SteamVR for whatever reason, I just need to overwrite it with this old version. But this shouldn't happen if you never run Steam on a computer where you're doing actual work.

If you happen to read this and want that old version of SteamVR for Mac, message me and I'll send you a link. I've tried months ago to send bug reports and send feedback, but it's like yelling into a black hole. If anyone knows how to reach a dev, I'd love to know. There's probably one guy working on it in his spare time.

[lukasmaxim]

Messaggio originale di Zardoz:

Hi all,
Judging by this thread, I'm one of the few people running an HTC Vive (original) on a Mac successfully, and doing work with it. Luckily, I have a version of SteamVR that I've archived, and it still works to this day (currently running the latest Mojave on a trashcan Mac Pro). Unfortunately, SteamVR development on Mac is a cluster****. There's no built-in way to NOT update SteamVR when you load up Steam, short of running in offline mode. So if they break something, and you're doing actual work, you're SOL.

My recommendation, for those of you using Final Cut Pro on a Mac, is to never run Steam at all past the initial install. Just use 'Output to VR Headset' from within FCPX, and it will load up SteamVR and it should work. I haven't been following the 'updated' versions of SteamVR lately, so I have no idea what the last working version was, but I've zipped up a working version to keep. If I accidentally update SteamVR for whatever reason, I just need to overwrite it with this old version. But this shouldn't happen if you never run Steam on a computer where you're doing actual work.

If you happen to read this and want that old version of SteamVR for Mac, message me and I'll send you a link. I've tried months ago to send bug reports and send feedback, but it's like yelling into a black hole. If anyone knows how to reach a dev, I'd love to know. There's probably one guy working on it in his spare time.

Hey Zardoy, I'm also a poor soul working with macOS and a HTC Vive. Latest drivers in Unity just give me a black screen. I would very much appreciate if you could send me the older version you have! I friended you on Steam for PM.

Thanks!

[Amidee]

Messaggio originale di Zardoz:

Hi all,
Judging by this thread, I'm one of the few people running an HTC Vive (original) on a Mac successfully, and doing work with it. Luckily, I have a version of SteamVR that I've archived, and it still works to this day (currently running the latest Mojave on a trashcan Mac Pro). Unfortunately, SteamVR development on Mac is a cluster****. There's no built-in way to NOT update SteamVR when you load up Steam, short of running in offline mode. So if they break something, and you're doing actual work, you're SOL.

My recommendation, for those of you using Final Cut Pro on a Mac, is to never run Steam at all past the initial install. Just use 'Output to VR Headset' from within FCPX, and it will load up SteamVR and it should work. I haven't been following the 'updated' versions of SteamVR lately, so I have no idea what the last working version was, but I've zipped up a working version to keep. If I accidentally update SteamVR for whatever reason, I just need to overwrite it with this old version. But this shouldn't happen if you never run Steam on a computer where you're doing actual work.

If you happen to read this and want that old version of SteamVR for Mac, message me and I'll send you a link. I've tried months ago to send bug reports and send feedback, but it's like yelling into a black hole. If anyone knows how to reach a dev, I'd love to know. There's probably one guy working on it in his spare time.

Hi there! I would love to have that link :D full time 360 video editor here, looking for some help!

[76561199001907438]

Messaggio originale di Zardoz:

Hi all,
Judging by this thread, I'm one of the few people running an HTC Vive (original) on a Mac successfully, and doing work with it. Luckily, I have a version of SteamVR that I've archived, and it still works to this day (currently running the latest Mojave on a trashcan Mac Pro). Unfortunately, SteamVR development on Mac is a cluster****. There's no built-in way to NOT update SteamVR when you load up Steam, short of running in offline mode. So if they break something, and you're doing actual work, you're SOL.

My recommendation, for those of you using Final Cut Pro on a Mac, is to never run Steam at all past the initial install. Just use 'Output to VR Headset' from within FCPX, and it will load up SteamVR and it should work. I haven't been following the 'updated' versions of SteamVR lately, so I have no idea what the last working version was, but I've zipped up a working version to keep. If I accidentally update SteamVR for whatever reason, I just need to overwrite it with this old version. But this shouldn't happen if you never run Steam on a computer where you're doing actual work.

If you happen to read this and want that old version of SteamVR for Mac, message me and I'll send you a link. I've tried months ago to send bug reports and send feedback, but it's like yelling into a black hole. If anyone knows how to reach a dev, I'd love to know. There's probably one guy working on it in his spare time.

Hi, I am also struggling to get anything to work with my vive pro on Mac. I would love to get that old Steam VR version and try it out :)

[makers]

Zardoz, I would also really appreciate the archived version of Steam if you still have it. I have sent you a friend request as well. Thanks.

[Dancing Goat 23]

Hey, Zardoz. Me too on that archived SteamVR :). I haven’t even tried to run yet, but don’t want the headache of dealing with nonfunctioning SteamVR betas... thanks!

[tjardaroeloffsvalk]

Messaggio originale di Zardoz:

Hi all,
Judging by this thread, I'm one of the few people running an HTC Vive (original) on a Mac successfully, and doing work with it. Luckily, I have a version of SteamVR that I've archived, and it still works to this day (currently running the latest Mojave on a trashcan Mac Pro). Unfortunately, SteamVR development on Mac is a cluster****. There's no built-in way to NOT update SteamVR when you load up Steam, short of running in offline mode. So if they break something, and you're doing actual work, you're SOL.

My recommendation, for those of you using Final Cut Pro on a Mac, is to never run Steam at all past the initial install. Just use 'Output to VR Headset' from within FCPX, and it will load up SteamVR and it should work. I haven't been following the 'updated' versions of SteamVR lately, so I have no idea what the last working version was, but I've zipped up a working version to keep. If I accidentally update SteamVR for whatever reason, I just need to overwrite it with this old version. But this shouldn't happen if you never run Steam on a computer where you're doing actual work.

If you happen to read this and want that old version of SteamVR for Mac, message me and I'll send you a link. I've tried months ago to send bug reports and send feedback, but it's like yelling into a black hole. If anyone knows how to reach a dev, I'd love to know. There's probably one guy working on it in his spare time.

I would love to get that older version. Having trouble setting up the Vive on my iMac. Got the 310 error, hopefully this helps.

[eblugamma]

Messaggio originale di Zardoz:

Hi all,
Judging by this thread, I'm one of the few people running an HTC Vive (original) on a Mac successfully, and doing work with it. Luckily, I have a version of SteamVR that I've archived, and it still works to this day (currently running the latest Mojave on a trashcan Mac Pro). Unfortunately, SteamVR development on Mac is a cluster****. There's no built-in way to NOT update SteamVR when you load up Steam, short of running in offline mode. So if they break something, and you're doing actual work, you're SOL.

My recommendation, for those of you using Final Cut Pro on a Mac, is to never run Steam at all past the initial install. Just use 'Output to VR Headset' from within FCPX, and it will load up SteamVR and it should work. I haven't been following the 'updated' versions of SteamVR lately, so I have no idea what the last working version was, but I've zipped up a working version to keep. If I accidentally update SteamVR for whatever reason, I just need to overwrite it with this old version. But this shouldn't happen if you never run Steam on a computer where you're doing actual work.

If you happen to read this and want that old version of SteamVR for Mac, message me and I'll send you a link. I've tried months ago to send bug reports and send feedback, but it's like yelling into a black hole. If anyone knows how to reach a dev, I'd love to know. There's probably one guy working on it in his spare time.

Zardoz, if you're still willing to share that version of steamVR, I would love a copy.