How to try SteamVR

[Programmer Joe]

Edited to add:
NOTE: These instructions are out of date. Please find the latest instructions here.


As of the most recent Steam Client Beta steam now supports an experimental VR mode. If you
own an Oculus Rift dev kit you can try it out by starting Steam with "-vr" on the command line. Then press the Big Picture button to enter Big Picture + VR mode.

The first time you run you may need to do the following:
1) Run Steam in the desktop client without the -vr option
2) Find "SteamVR" under "Tools" in your library. (If you don't have it installed, install it.)
3) Bring up properties on SteamVR and opt-in to the "Beta Update" beta. Let the update download.
4) Quit the Steam Client again and start it with -vr


Please use this forum to provide feedback on VR mode.

Edited to add: This feature is currently only supported on Windows. Linux and OSX support are on the way.

[Infinimitsu]

inscothen の投稿を引用：

It didn't work till I signed out and back in my windows account. Works now. Windows pro 8.1 64-bit

Are you able to launch games?

[Inscothen]

Infinimitsu の投稿を引用：

Are you able to launch games?

So far, only got VR Big Picture running. Launching Dishonored puts the game on my monitor and stops VR BPmode in the Rift. Launching HL2 w/ vrmode from VR BigPicture has "pre-init check cables" error.

[Cheeseness]

I tried to read through all the comments, but couldn't find any mention of this working on Linux. I'd like to try, but I don't seem to have any success on F20 64 bit with a GTX650ti running prop nvidia 331.20 drivers.

Could the first post please be updated with a list of platforms that it's intended to work on?

[DIENER]

I have no problems running games with it but if I exit Big Picture it crashes Steam.

I used Euro Truck Simulator 2 as a test game because it have Oculus Rift support and it works.

I have a suggestion that you upgrade Oculus Configuration Utility 1.1 (SDK 0.2.4) to 1.2 (SDK 0.2.5)
I had a problem with Euro Truck Simulator 2 because it wasn't the latest.

[cannongod]

Just to throw my hat into the ring: tried running on Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) by launching in VR mode from terminal

open -a Steam --args -vr

without success. Just goes straight to regular Big Picture mode. Tried every permutation I could think of. Only managed to access the SteamVR app and calibrate the Rift etc. but that's it.

In other news, saw 'Vortex' mentioned along with the Oculus drivers in the VR file system. Hopefully hear something following the Steam Dev Days starting tomorrow

P.S. Good luck with the talk, Joe!

[Jocopocomaioco]

Help plz.... i don t know how/where put -VR in steam icon

[AlexPewPew]

Its a pretty good starter experience, I didn't try to launch any games using it.

I had a serious issue with the head tracking. I started up big picture without the rift on. Once i put the rift on the menu kept floating to either side making it difficult to follow and nauseating.

I would like to see something tailored more to vr. For example the friends list could be on a separate 'monitor' to the right of the library, recent games to the left. Ideally it would be something the user could customize.

Another way to make it more 'vr' is to have some sort of background. even if its just a swirling fog effect to replace the black.

I'm really excited for the opportunity to turn on my computer, boot into big picture and put on my rift.

[Coffee]

Where to type the -vr thing. Where's the command thing to input that -vr.

[HNIC]

[Icingdeath]

The big picture with VR worked great for me until I started TF2 and enabled virtual reality mode.
After this vrserver.exe crashed, but vrserver.exe now also keeps crashing when only starting steam with -vr.

Crashdump of vrserver after a system reboot and executing steam -vr:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20446043/vrserver.exe.5384.dmp

[Coffee]

Icingdeath の投稿を引用：

The big picture with VR worked great for me until I started TF2 and enabled virtual reality mode.
After this vrserver.exe crashed, but vrserver.exe now also keeps crashing when only starting steam with -vr.

Crashdump of vrserver after a system reboot and executing steam -vr:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20446043/vrserver.exe.5384.dmp

Where you input -VR? Maybe thats why

[Juanlo]

I can't make it work, simply because every time I opt-in for the VR beta, after exiting Steam if reverts to non-beta and it downloads that version again when restarting in Big Picture mode. I'm having the same issue with Half-Life 2, I have to change beta settings every time I want to play it with my Oculus Rift, as soon as I restart Steam it reverts to non-beta.

I have tried both Steam official and beta clients with the same result. I'm using Windows 8.1 64 bit and I have tried everything I can think of, any ideas?

[transceiverfreq]

aaaand for Mac?

[Infinimitsu]

Just some general feedback about Steam, Steam VR and Big Picture mode:

It would be great to have media player functionality from inside of Steam VR Big Picture, such as playing video files, discs, and music. Preferably, music with some cool visualizations. I'm also hoping that Steam VR is eventually opened up a little to allow developers to come up with apps we can use right in Steam, such as calculators, calendars, alarms, Facebook, yadda yadda.

[3soulz]

My system:

Windows 7 home premium 64bit 6.1
AMD Phenom II X4 B60 @ 3.3GHz
16gb RAM
Nvidia GTX 660 2gb
2 x 1920x1080 monitors + Rift

After following the steps and troubleshooting I am unable to use this currently. When launching, Steam seems to identify which display is the Rift and starts there in big picture, however there is no tracking nor 3d. It simply renders to that screen as if it were a third panel. There is no alternative view of big picture on either of the other screens, it simply shows a plain screen (on both panels) that is the colour of my desktop, but removes everything else, ie. the task bar does not show. Closing Steam drops me back to the desktop, however it alters my screen layout and changes which is the primary display.

I have tried disabling the other screens one at a time and launching with just one display and the rift as an extended desktop, oriented on both sides of the desktop, with the same result. I have launched my rift configuration to verify that it is connected and working, which it is, and used it with other software and can confirm that the tracking and 3d rendering work correctly.

I have verified that I am opted in to the VR beta and have updated correctly, and launched Steam both with a modified shortcut and also via console, both with the same result. I will watch for future updates and wait for possible workarounds or suggestions.

Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any help

(edited for clarity)