Idiot user guide for htc vive pro 2

[onetime_187]

Hello. After months of messing around trying to setup my htc vive pro 2 I finally got it working (which is a feat because HTC support does not make it easy at all). I'm putting this discussion together basically as a download of all the stupid crap I went through figuring this out stuff out. My background: a little bit of vr experience, I had the oculus dk1 and dk2, working on the ipd testing and vorpx workarounds (skyrim on dk2 was incredible). I really only watch videos and some very light gaming, which Samsung gear vr was superior for until they effed up with the last update leading me through this torturous journey. I chose the vive for 4k, and honestly the only reason why it took me months is because I'm very busy, working a lot and raising a family so my time is spread very thin, it probably would have taken a week. Anyways, here goes...

1. YOU NEED A POWERFUL COMPUTER AND A POWERFUL VIDEO CARD: Don't even attempt if you don't, HTC is being conservative with their optimal video requirements. Even just to watch videos, I'm a Gtx 960 which is more than enough by HTC requirements and I can't watch a Hevc video faster than 30fps. Currently my computer is overheating and shuts down after watching videos for an hour :/ *blinks in frustration*.

2. The headsets can be bought by themselves but you need the entire set. You need at least one controller, you cant finish calibration without one and can't navigate the vr menu without it (unless you want a ridiculous workaround for a keyboard that doesn't really work). You need two controllers for gaming (obviously). You need at least one lighthouse, 2.0 if you have a vive pro 2, at least two if you are doing any standing gaming. I state this because I hoped I could only buy the headset. You can't, buy the whole set and save yourself pain.

3. Everything (in praise of HTC) should come out of the box working. If you have a controller that isn't pairing or updating, send it back and demand a return, HTC appears to be good with this. Don't buy anything from someone that can't be refunded. This especially applies to the lighthouses, they are in short demand currently so you may need to buy from Amazon or ebay and not HTC direct. And they are delicate little creatures and many are defective out of the box. If steamvr is recognizing the device but it isn't working (i.e. Grey screen on headset) don't eff around doing the laser test, don't try the stupid flash device workaround you can find on google, send it back immediately. You plug these things in and they immediately get recognized and work or they do not. You also need the box (can't remember the name of it rn) and Lots of power outlets and lots of USB 3.0 ports.

4. Software. Didn't get too far into this side of things. You need the installer specifically for what device ur using, I couldn't get the one working from HTC itself (kept freezing) but when I downloaded steamvr it downloaded everything including the vive console app.

5. Once everything is connected (follow the guide for this): you should have a green light on the hub box that connects to the computer and a green light on the headset, you will have a green light on the lighthouse. Start the vive console and steamvr, if everything is connected correctly steam will automatically detect all the devices (lighting them up on the app window) and will run you through the step by step calibrations and updates.

6. If ur watching videos like me, here-sphere (I think is the name) works fantastic. It costs 30 bucks, just pay it, totally worth it. The previous video players I used such as deov and workarounds through virtual desktop are painful to get working and inferior.

6. Last thing of note, the headset is comfortable but the knob at the back completely sucks. Most won't mind it but if you are a slouch in a comfy chair guy while you watch youtube vr kind of guy like me it completely gets in the way and there is no fixing.

I hope this helps someone because finding thr information was really difficult and that was for someone who wasn't entirely cold with vr. I'll add more as I remember it. Honestly I'm probably going to sell it all and buy a oculus because they're standalone and I just learned that despite being lower resolution they handle high rez videos like hevc better (something about the compression and how you can sideload them).

[rbuckels]

Very helpful, thanks