Linux and VR Headsets... Valve Index vs HP Reverb G2

[temps]

Both the Reverb G2 and the Valve Index appear to list a Windows operating system as a requirement for use of these VR headsets, however I've heard some say they're going with the Valve Index because it supports Linux.

Anyone know anything about this?

I was a bit surprised to see the Windows requirement listed for the Valve Index, because it seems like Steam has been promoting Linux support a lot lately.

[oneindelijk]

I'm very interested to know more about this too. I'm a Linux only user and I'd like to get the G2 as soon as it is available (in a few weeks), but Linux support is quite important

[c0deaddict]

I'm also interested. Did you find an answer?

[Mio Rin]

The Index works on Linux.

I think any headset that works on SteamVR without custom middleware would work fine on Linux, but I'm not 100% sure.

[The Maddog]

This is two separate headsets so it's two separate answers.

Valve Index:

Does the Index work on Linux? Yes. Valve offer official Linux support for the Index.

Does every Index feature and VR game work on Linux? No. Some Index features simply wont function (mostly pass through camera related from what I understand) and the vast majority VR titles have no official Linux support (though functionality and performance will differ on a case by case basis).

Here's a link to one person's experience.

https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2020/08/my-experiences-of-valves-vr-on-linux


HP Reverb G2:

Does the G2 work on Linux? Officially, no. Manufacture Specs require Win 10 or later.

Regardless of the fact that there was some collaboration with Valve for the headsets design (mostly the audio) and the headset has official SteamVR support (via the Valve and Microsoft VR partnership), the G2 is a "Windows" Mixed Reality headset. It requires certain key drivers supplied only by Microsoft and Windows 10 OS to operate.

The ONLY headsets with any sort of "official" Linux support are the Valve Index, Original Vive (now discontinued) and Vive Pro. Those headsets are built directly to Valves base SteamVR specs and as such can work with Linux as the drivers are supplied solely by Valve.

All other models of headsets have manufacture written drivers that are not Linux supported. This includes all Oculus headsets, Pimax headsets and both the Vive Cosmos and Vive Cosmos: Elite.

However in the case of the Pimax headsets (which require the PiTool software to operate), there are some unsupported 3rd party drivers for Linux operation.

Mio Rin said it all ready. I'm just filling in the blanks.

Mio Rin eredeti hozzászólása:

any headset that works on SteamVR without custom middleware would work fine on Linux, but I'm not 100% sure.

So, TLDR.

If you want to VR game, you're going to want Windows 10 in the long run. Oculus has it's Facebook Integration (which means you need Windows), WinMR are Microsoft headsets (so no Linux support) and the Pimax and newest HTC headsets have custom drivers that are Win 10 reliant.

If you absolutely and categorically must run Linux, your only choice is Valve Index and Vive Pro.

[temps]

Interesting... I didn't know Vive Pro was decent with Linux. Well, I am on Windows 10 right now, but I've been wanting to move to Linux.

Windows is doing all kinds of things I find annoying these days so I've been thinking more and more that I'll want to move to Linux sometime.

Maybe I'll stay on Windows 10 for another couple years while the VR market becomes more mainstream, then investigate the possibility of moving to Linux later.

[grzegorz77]

I will answer differently.

Do as I do, buy cheap and compatible with "all" games oculus glasses.
Buying index, you will probably have to end up with some half-Linux, probably some clone ubuntu.
Place an additional drive, or make partition for windos. You can have games on other partitions.
You can have steam on Linux and windos, it works fine.
Fast reboot and you play VR, of course you can run virtual machines, but why waste your work and resources. Unless you can't do a poweroff, but I don't think you'd ask that question if it were.