Vive Direct Mode Issue

[Cherrypopins]

So, I've been having issues with error 208, my Direct Mode is off and every attempt I try to turn it on fails. The msg of "Turning on Direct Mode will cause VR to reset", hit yes and nothing happens. I've tried unplug/replug everything, drivers are up to date, using hdmi plug straight into gpu. I got it to work last night after fully uninstalling everything Vive related software and reinstalling it again. This morning get up, boot up SteamVR and I get error 208. Direct Mode will not turn on. Vive display is black as if it was off and the indicator light is solid red.

I doubled checked to make sure every driver on my rig is up-to-date, every possible new update from GPU, Java, Windows, everything, is up-to-date.

Radeon Software Version - 16.4.2
Radeon Software Edition - Crimson
Graphics Chipset - AMD Radeon (TM) R9 390 Series *Sapphire*
Memory Size - 8192 MB
Memory Type - GDDR5
Core Clock - 1040 MHz
Windows Version - Windows 7 (Service Pack 1) (64 bit)
System Memory - 16 GB
CPU Type - Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4690K CPU @ 3.50GHz

I believe I've tried everything short of holding a cat over my rig, praying to the Nyan~Gods above.

[Christen]

Please contact Steam Support and include a SteamVR system report. https://support.steampowered.com/newticket.php?appid=7&category=408

[Cherrypopins]

Email sent, time to wait a hot minute :/

[DukeSnider]

I was able to "fix" this problem by editing the "steamvr.vrsettings" file at:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\config

Steps:
- Shut down SteamVR (if running)
- Navigate file system to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\config"
- Open file "steamvr.vrsettings" with notepad
- Change "directMode" value from "false" to "true"
- Save file, close file
- Startup SteamVR again

[Cherrypopins]

Omg, you my good man are a gentlemen and a scholar

[lifebynumbers]

What if your steamvr.vrsetting file doesn't have directmode in it at all???

[Cherrypopins]

{
"jsonid" : "vrsettings",
"keyboard" : {
"TutorialCompletions" : 1
},
"perfcheck" : {
"heuristicActive" : true
},
"steamvr" : {
"allowReprojection" : true,
"background" : "G:\\Steam\\steamapps\\common\\SteamVR\\resources\\backgrounds\\viveNight.png",
"directMode" : true,
"directModeEdidPid" : 43521,
"directModeEdidVid" : 53794
},
"version" : "1"
}


There's the exact copy of my steamvr.vrsettings file. All you should need to do is copy/pasta into yours but make sure you change the G into a C or whatever your directory path leads to for your storage device.

[FondleGauntlet]

mine is already set to try but it isnt in direct mode and keeps telling me to put it in direct mode :/

[r0setta_st0ned]

Originally posted by christen:

Please contact Steam Support and include a SteamVR system report. https://support.steampowered.com/newticket.php?appid=7&category=408

Hello, i cant play a game for more then 5 minutes before the screen goes black. Please help

[golem517]

Originally posted by DukeSnider:

I was able to "fix" this problem by editing the "steamvr.vrsettings" file at:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\config

Steps:
- Shut down SteamVR (if running)
- Navigate file system to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\config"
- Open file "steamvr.vrsettings" with notepad
- Change "directMode" value from "false" to "true"
- Save file, close file
- Startup SteamVR again

thank you

[Umbranator]

I encountered this, and the solution was to plug my VR headset directly into the displayport off my graphics card, not the random other one on the back of my PC.

[Cherrypopins]

Originally posted by Umbranator:

I encountered this, and the solution was to plug my VR headset directly into the displayport off my graphics card, not the random other one on the back of my PC.

Yeah I also tried that. All in all I think it really boiled down to was my OS. When I `upgraded` to W10 from W7, a lot of issues got fixed.

[No-Face $hiba]

Originally posted by Cherrypopins:

{
"jsonid" : "vrsettings",
"keyboard" : {
"TutorialCompletions" : 1
},
"perfcheck" : {
"heuristicActive" : true
},
"steamvr" : {
"allowReprojection" : true,
"background" : "G:\\Steam\\steamapps\\common\\SteamVR\\resources\\backgrounds\\viveNight.png",
"directMode" : true,
"directModeEdidPid" : 43521,
"directModeEdidVid" : 53794
},
"version" : "1"
}


There's the exact copy of my steamvr.vrsettings file. All you should need to do is copy/pasta into yours but make sure you change the G into a C or whatever your directory path leads to for your storage device.

bump, but i dont think any of the newer steamvr.vrsettings have anything about the direct mode in them and changing the contents to something totally different could break them

[Entropy]

My computer forcibly upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Valve Index stopped working... Vive Pro also didn't work... After several hours I found a solution.

Solution:
Delete the steamvr.vrsettings file in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\config"