VR apps stutter

[Fox_1041]

Gear: PCVR using Pico 4 with Pico Connect (new name of streaming assistant)

Issue: when playing any game, the view on HMD stutters very heavily, while on monitor it looks perfectly fine. Some key points about it:
Performance is not the problem, I'm running the game at 72 fps when I can run it at 90 and be OK
Networking is not the problem, the connection is stable, there's no spikes, SteamVR overlay looks and works perfect even though it is translated to my HMD using the same network
Tracking is not the problem, because in Pico itself AND in SteamVR my controllers and HMD in relation to the game zone looks and works perfectly, its only the game itself that is affected
Earlier (a couple of months back) I didnt have any problems at all. Since then, I didnt change any settings, so my setup is exactly the same. The only thing I'm suspicious of is updates of the software I'm using (Pico Connect, AMD Adrenaline, SteamVR itself and stuff like that)
Switching to SteamVR beta doesnt help
Switching AC/AX modes on my 5ghz router doesnt help
The issue is exactly the same even when using USB connection
The issue persists both when my head is stable and when looking around (so tracking is not the issue, as said previously)
The factory reset doesnt help at all

I ran out of solutions, everything that there is on the internet is not helping to remedy the issue, Pico support hit me with "its not a bug, its a feature", lol. Cant get help anywhere else, so please, tell me how you solved this if you had it.

[2⊛2]

I got stutters in some games like "The 7th Guest" and could only minimize the problem, but no solution.
In which games you did notice the stutters ?

[Fox_1041]

Originally posted by 2⊛2:

I got stutters in some games like "The 7th Guest" and could only minimize the problem, but no solution.
In which games you did notice the stutters ?

VTOL VR, Blade&Sorcery

[2⊛2]

Hmm. VTOL is absolutely smooth on my Pico 4.
My graficcard is an AMD RX 6700 XT.
Yours ?

[Fox_1041]

Originally posted by 2⊛2:

Hmm. VTOL is absolutely smooth on my Pico 4.
My graficcard is an AMD RX 6700 XT.
Yours ?

AMD RX 6650 XT
Yeah, it was completely smooth before, no issues at all across all the apps, but now I'm suffering from the issue that appeared out of thin air lol

[Bob Loblaw]

Prior confirmed causes of stutter in the forums:
1) Resolution set too high
2) USB congestion from lighting apps like Asus Aura, Corsair iCUE, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, TT RGB Plus

2b) USB congestion from a webcam ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/0/3723945543089828606/ )

3) GPU monitoring apps like Afterburner, Aorus Edge View (once a second one-frame stutter) ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/2/3381662461615185982/?tscn=1662951659 ), also SteamVR's GPU monitoring ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/2/4411920671411791425/?tscn=1719585881 )
3b) disable razer cortex, a gaming "optimization" app ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/0/5371139102170147464/ )

4) NVMe drive stealing bandwidth from the GPU's PCIE bus (here's an archived link to this deleted thread https://web.archive.org/web/20221129043940/https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/11/1815422173043032484/ )
5) PCI-e 4.0 and USB conflict (also causes intermittent tracking loss) (change BIOS to use PCI-e 3.0 protocol)
6) Rift S + open OVR Advanced Settings ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/0/3112519935867753855/ )
7) This huge thread on amd cards/drivers/chaperone/motion smoothing, etc, possible causes AMD ReLive for VR (Wireless), High Precision Event Timer, ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/0/2970650017901586073/ ) It can be your nvidia driver also ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/2/3781373416983040459/?tscn=1678668390 )
8) minimize game desktop window ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/2/3058490685012602825/ ) (win 11/4070ti https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/0/3781373416979903352/ )
9) Windows 11 wrong window focus (try the game window or SteamVR control panel)
10) Wrong OpenXR runtime setting (SteamVR, Oculus, WMR) (oculus example https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/2/6406956248970801032/ )
11) Multiple monitors at different refresh rates. Test with just one, at 60. ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/0/6406956248963113090/ )

12) Windows 11 stop HolographicsShell ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/0/3396302157195505846/?tscn=1667747866 )

13) Oculus tweaks for laptops ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/0/2960544821853447875/?tscn=1668915856 )

14) Test on stable releases (steam & steamvr), unless the beta notes specifically address your case and be sure to submit a bug report if the beta was the problem. ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/0/3601219829885362953/?tscn=1669578882 )

15) Check task manager for mining trojans ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/2/3720565944177228084/ )

16) disable fTPM in BIOS ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/0/3717188878648710440/?tscn=1670642848 )

17) disable third-party SteamVR overlays ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/2/3717188878662474883/?tscn=1670859457 ) ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/0/6087244427733807036/?tscn=1705191527 )

18) GPU congestion from broadcasting software ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/2/3781373416983040459/?tscn=1679006745 )

19) Razor synapse conflict with WMR and SteamVR ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/0/3825286438464577842/ )

20) late start from overclocking, or 3rd party overlays, others ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/2/3806152724344338509/?tscn=1687779526 )

20b) late starts fixed by increasing laptop ram from 16 to 32GB ( https://steamcommunity.com/app/250820/discussions/0/4036979713107386112/?ctp=2 )

21) under win 11 update 22H2, disable nvidia overlay, or disable HAGS, or disable windows game mode, or disable core isolation ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PETR3t6StU )

[Fox_1041]

I read this in countless other topics, no need to copy it again :D (Yes, nothing worked)

[2⊛2]

Ahh, on my Pico the new OS 5.9 ISN´T installed. And i am still using the "Streaming Assistent" not Pico Connect.
Did you try to connect the HMD over cable ?

When your problems rised. After installing OS 5.9 ?
It is sad that one can´t does a fallback to an older version.
Maybe you could reset your headset or reinstalling the OS.

[Fox_1041]

Originally posted by 2⊛2:

Ahh, on my Pico the new OS 5.9 ISN´T installed. And i am still using the "Streaming Assistent" not Pico Connect.
Did you try to connect the HMD over cable ?

When your problems rised. After installing OS 5.9 ?
It is sad that one can´t does a fallback to an older version.
Maybe you could reset your headset or reinstalling the OS.

Try to read what I wrote in my post message, please. There's answers to literally each of your questions.

[Fox_1041]

To not be rude:
1. No, the OS 5.9 was already installed and worked great. Problems started just recently, OS update have nothing to do with it (it actually fixed most of my previous issues and ever since I had flawless experience)
2. Yep, connected both using the cable and 5ghz wifi, no difference
3. I did reset the HMD, no effect. Not going to reset the system for now, as I firmly believe that it will not resolve the issue. We'll see if that belief changes with new information.

[2⊛2]

1. I did read your opener post. But i didn´t realized that this "The issue is exactly the same even when using USB connection" i was meant connect over cable ;)

2. If your headset never seen another OS but worked fine then there must be another reason for stutters. sure ^^

3 Resetting Windows shouldn´t be nessecary (<- never i will know how to write this word correctly _P) because Windows will change its setting with the next update again.

You did written that you test SteamVr-Beta. Did you given the 1.27_Temp also a try ?

PS.: Do you know when your Pico 4 was assembled ? And do you get any failures because bad lenses ?
Like this "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtxmYRwDaQ0".
My date of assembly is 10/28/22 and i get really bad lenses. The headset is great but the lenses are crap.

[Fox_1041]

Originally posted by 2⊛2:

1. I did read your opener post. But i didn´t realized that this "The issue is exactly the same even when using USB connection" i was meant connect over cable ;)

2. If your headset never seen another OS but worked fine then there must be another reason for stutters. sure ^^

3 Resetting Windows shouldn´t be nessecary (<- never i will know how to write this word correctly _P) because Windows will change its setting with the next update again.

You did written that you test SteamVr-Beta. Did you given the 1.27_Temp also a try ?

PS.: Do you know when your Pico 4 was assembled ? And do you get any failures because bad lenses ?
Like this "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtxmYRwDaQ0".
My date of assembly is 10/28/22 and i get really bad lenses. The headset is great but the lenses are crap.

I tried 1.27 beta, but it didnt have any effect either
Yeah, it was made in 2022.10, as most of the faulty ones people talk about, but I didnt have any issues at all with my HMD before. If there is any lens effect like it that video, I didnt notice it when using it for a whole year (probably its that subtle or non-existent on my HMD)
There were some issues with quality of the image (blur, pixelated edges), but these issues were because of the resolution, not because of the assembly quality. When I switched from streaming assistant to Pico Connect I had my mind blown at how clear the image looked and looks since. So right now I'm happy with everything about my HMD, except that stutter that came out of nowhere. FYI this stutter doesnt affect internal HMD interface or SteamVR itself, its only applications that suffer this. I tried moving my controllers and head around to see if its a tracking problem or if its a whole system stuttering, but what I noticed is that while my games stutter heavily, all overlays function and move flawlessly, my controllers move flawlessly, my head tracking is perfect. So yeah, it is very weird.

[Fox_1041]

I think its important that I add the fact that all performance graphs look perfect. SteamVR GPU graph? Perfect frame times with lots of room for GPU (as I said, I can run 90hz smoothly). Pico Connect performance graph? No unusual latence, good stats, 60-70% GPU load with no spikes. Task manager? Same about GPU, no issues in wifi connection as well. That is what freaks me out. The issue that cannot be diagnosed. I dont even know why it happens in the first place, even though everything was perfect before.

[phobic_sting]

I know this is an older thread now, but I had a lot of similar issues just recently to the point I thought my headset may be to blame. I was tearing my hair out on both Riven and HL:Alyx as the games would start sorta smooth enough then after a minute or less the display had really bad lag. I knew something was way way off when I put all Riven settings to lowest and still it occurred. I'm using the 5700x3d paired with the new 9070XT on Windows 11 so that should not happen. It is connected over USB3. Even tried a different cable and adjusting the bitrate all the way down to 40 Mb/s which is ridiculous but had to try.
After a lengthy time trying all sorts of settings/combinations, in PICO Connect settings I just switched from HEVC(h265) to H264 codec. This made a groundbreaking difference and the games were instantly smoother with none of the weird visual glitches appearing when tracking side to side. Maybe AMD have some work to do on the HEVC encoding front...
Also in PICO software, I disabled Frame Interpolation and Frame Buffering.
In AMD Adrenaline I have set profiles for these games and basically turn all features off except Anisotropic Filtering.
In Windows I have HAGS off and Game Mode on. Power plan is set to Performance.
In Steam VR I disabled all features relating to smooth motion or interpolation.
It's not perfect, but it is pretty good now. Just thought I'd mention my thoughts in case it's still useful even to anyone else with issues.

[Fox_1041]

Thanks, I'll try that on my system

[2⊛2]

@phobic_sting

Since AMD RX-Series 7xxx you can choose AV1-Codecs in Pico-Connect. That codec is faster and more efficient for encoding.

Today some games here got heavy stutters on moving the head around again. Guess it is the old problem with Steam itself. Games were "Premium Bowl" and "Amaze VR" (a Concert Eperience).
Using HEVC 265 @150 mbit because H264 has lower quality of graphics.
Also "Frame Buffering, Frame Interpolation and SteamVR Motion Smoothing" are always off. Refrshrate for the Pico 4 Ultra is set to 72 Hz.

My graficadapter RX 6700XT is old but not weak and could handle the most games.
When i am using the old Beta temp_1.27.5 the stutters are gone but i am missing the comfort of actual SteamVR 2.0.