Updating original Vive headset to Vive Pro2

[peter.nambo]

I have the original HTC Vive working, and am about to change the headset to Vive Pro2. My questions relate to the software and the best way of doing things. Wlll Steam VR work the same and can it be left alone? Should I delete the old Vive software or just download and run the new software?

[Bob Loblaw]

I had the OG VIVE and bought the VP2, and followed the written install directions that came in the box to the letter. My system was free of third-party software like revive, OVR advanced settings, FPS VR, etc.

Your SteamVR will not work exactly the same anymore. The Vive used the compositor native to SteamVR, the VP2 uses one from HTC, called Vive Console. It has its own motion smoothing (which I don't use), and it reports back less granular info for SteamVR's latency performance graph.

The instructions have you download and install vive software which includes a standalone version of Vive Console. My install hung the first attempt, but worked the second time. Steam store has it's own version called "Vive Console for SteamVR." I heard some buyers who just plug stuff in and power it up had that install automatically. My PC has both installed.

The vive console has a bunch of settings, I recommend leaving them on default without good reason. One major new thing relates the HMD resolution. The Vive Console runs a speed test on your GPU at every launch, and lies about your HMD resolution to SteamVR to try to optimize performance. In my case (rtx 3060ti FTW3), this works great. Users of faster GPUs often report that the resolution sent to SteamVR is too high and causes low framerate. There are settings/ways to change this behavior, I'm not familiar with them.

The second major difference is the vive console's setting for the data protocol used by the video link. The two highest data-rate options require a modern GPU with data compression capability, a 1080ti for example would be limited to the lowest 3 options. The highest option, 120 Hz at full screen resolution, makes the HMD run hot, hurts color fidelity a little, and diverts GPU resources to extra framerate when it could be supersampling instead, so I go with the full resolution at 90Hz option.

If you leave the link box powered on overnight, you'll have ghosting in your HMD the next use, which will take a few hours of use to go away. Here's my VP2 startup/shutdown procedure which prevents problems:

I start VR by:
1) turning on the PC (win 10 with fast startup disabled),
2) wait for steam to fully load at startup
2.5) launching viveport if I have an active subscription
3) press the power button on my VP2 link box
4) this auto-launches Vive Console
5) this auto-launches SteamVR and I'm good to go after the base stations spin up.
6) Once the HMD has a picture I put it on and power up my wands one at a time.

With the Vive Pro 2, shutdown process is important:
1) exit SteamVR via SteamVR menu or dashboard
2) SteamVR should quit (not crash), followed by a static blue nebula scene in the HMD from Vive Console for a few seconds before going dark, controllers should beep and power down. (If any of that didn't happen, startup and shut down again). Power down the link box now.
3) visually verify that the base stations got the shutdown command, if not just unplug them until next time, and plug them in before launching SteamVR.