SteamVR support for Linux looks like it's getting close

HYPE!!!
Woah, they recently had a offer at a local electronic store to buy the HTC Vive for only 777€.
Didn't grab it, as I wanted to wait for Linux support... you know, until it's not actually released, don't buy it and so on ;)

But now... woah, this is finally something big for Linux again! \o/

VR really is a weird phenomenon. Some people are just super hyped while others-like me-can't be arsed to care. Liam's one of the rare people who seem to be sitting on the wall.

I like Valve's VR efforts though, for the way they push Vulkan adoption in the industry.

Question to you who are on the fence or don't care about VR. Have you tried it? I'm not talking about using a phone, but true VR with positional tracking. It really is a transformative experience, that reminds me of the early days of accelerated 3D graphics (GL-Quake) in difference. The moment when you forget that you have a helmet on and where you are is certainly unique. It is still a very young field, and personally I need a break after 20-40 min. "inside", but the potential is huge, and true immersive VR is something I think everyone should try atleast once. If you're still not sold on it after that, fair enough, but my personal experience is that everyone who tried it, even the sceptical ones, were truly impressed.

That said, my Oculus DK2 has been sitting in the box since the company backed out of Linux support, as I won't install Windows on my PC even for VR, and Oculus has lost me as a customer. The Vive is the better experience currently of the two anyway, and the one I'd want to invest in, especially now. Not that I can afford it (and a new PC) right now, but I still believe in VR as a medium, and a next-gen helmet hopefully comming out next year I'd definitely save up for.

I think that at this point of the cycle, I'm going to wait for the next generation of VR, which I'm guessing will be released in 2018. The experience is good, but the current configurations for Vive/Oculus/Psvr all feel slightly beta.

I've got a DK2, and I'm still upset about them dropping Linux support.

I do have a separate Windows partition just to play around with it, for now (e.g. View video on youtube.com ), and even with the low-resolution 'screen door' effect, it's pretty neat.

But I'm still holding out hope that I'll one day be able to use it again under Linux, and game devs will actually update their ports (e.g. ETS2/ATS, Alien: Isolation, etc.) to actually work.

Quoting: numasanQuestion to you who are on the fence or don't care about VR. Have you tried it? I'm not talking about using a phone, but true VR with positional tracking. It really is a transformative experience, that reminds me of the early days of accelerated 3D graphics (GL-Quake) in difference.

I'm in Tuubi's camp, and I never cared about accelerated 3D graphics either. MOO 2 is still way better than most of the modern 4X SF games even though its graphics are . . . NOT accelerated 3D, to say the least. Heck, in some ways MOO 1 is more interesting than a lot of modern 4X; it did things in ways that have been forgotten, such as it let you split your research up between topics, abstracted industrial production on colonies rather than having stacks of fiddly "buildings" with different mostly-pointless tradeoffs, and so on. I care little that its graphics suck pustulent buttock.

I'm pleased in an abstract way that VR technology is being developed; I'm sure it will turn out to be useful in a number of ways (scientific research, medical diagnosis--imagine walking around in someone's MRI scan looking for anomalies--and so on) but I'm really not feeling like caring much about it for gaming.

. . . Actually, there is one type of game I might like to see in VR. VR would allow combat games where you're directly "fighting" with life-sized virtual opponents--you parry by parrying, strike by striking, dodge by dodgring, basically spar almost realistically. That would be cool, and good exercise too.

Quoting: GuestThe problem with VR is that most of the games are just "tests" and "minigames". I'm not buying a 900€ gadget if i cannot play big games like Rocket League, Skyrim/Fallout, Tomb Raider, XCOM... That's the thing.

Well, you can... there are some projects wich allow you to play normal pc games on vr, like Vireio Perception and Vorpx.

Playng Tomb Raider or Xcom doesn't really makes sense, but it's possible for the other games you wrote.

Never tried on Rocket League (i'm pretty sure it works), but playing Skyrim or Fallout in VR is actually pretty good.

But yeah, that's still totally compleatly different compared to a true vr game.

...And... in many games, even if it's technically possible to play in vr, it doesn' mean it will be a good experience.
For example, trying to play Counter Strike in VR is one of the worst idea i ever had :V


Last edited by Iperpido on 13 January 2017 at 11:35 pm UTC

Quoting: Purple Library Guy. . . Actually, there is one type of game I might like to see in VR. VR would allow combat games where you're directly "fighting" with life-sized virtual opponents--you parry by parrying, strike by striking, dodge by dodgring, basically spar almost realistically. That would be cool, and good exercise too.

Well... Actually quite all the Htc vive games supporting PVP combat are already working like this.

They are almost all shooters, but there is some swordfighting game. Or even some where you can use both.
Search for "Raw Data", for example.

You can move either by pointing the floor and "teleporting" or walking in real life, you can parry and dodge by moving your body, and weapons will follow your movement.
Characters are also sized based on player's height (...but you can cheat a bit on this one :P)


Last edited by Iperpido on 13 January 2017 at 11:52 pm UTC

Well, currently most of the VR games on steam are indies made on Unity or Unreal Engine 4, so it will probably be quite easy to port them on Linux if SteamVR will support it.
Serious Sam VR is based on Serious Sam 3 engine, wich already supports Linux, and it's probably already done.

If the driver support will be good enough, linux could easly become a perfect vr system.

Can't wait to try the HTC Vive on ArchLinux.

Quoting: numasanQuestion to you who are on the fence or don't care about VR. Have you tried it?

Yep. Granted it was a couple of years ago now, but it was still a proper headset experience. I won't deny that it wasn't a pretty neat experience, very immersive and all that, but I don't think it's the future of gaming. At least, not until it comes way down in price and a lot of really solid games come out for it.

wow, im downloading destinations... 2,4 gb...

Edit: no executable :P


Last edited by bubexel on 14 January 2017 at 1:12 am UTC

Quoting: WorMzybut I don't think it's the future of gaming. At least, not until it comes way down in price and a lot of really solid games come out for it.

Can't you see that in the future this is exactly what will happen? The headsets will come down in price and there will be lots of solid games for the platform?

What you are saying is that it's not the future of gaming, now. Which doesn't make sense ;)

Quoting: drmoth

Quoting: WorMzybut I don't think it's the future of gaming. At least, not until it comes way down in price and a lot of really solid games come out for it.

Can't you see that in the future this is exactly what will happen? The headsets will come down in price and there will be lots of solid games for the platform?

What you are saying is that it's not the future of gaming, now. Which doesn't make sense ;)

I knew that choice of words would bite me in the arse. :P

You are quite right, it is entirely possible that, someday, headsets will be ~£60-80,and games will be so well made for VR that we will even forget that we are playing one. If/when that day comes, I will be the first to say "we are living in the future". :)

Quoting: GuestI'm not buying a 900€ gadget if i cannot play big games like ... Fallout

Fallout 4 is being worked on for the Vive and is expected this year. Unfortunately it'll be a surprise if anything from Bethesda comes to Linux.

Quoting: WorMzyGranted it was a couple of years ago now, but it was still a proper headset experience.

It probably seems like moving the goalposts, but I think you need to have used one of the consumer versions including tracked controllers (ie Vive or Rift+Touch). Just the headset won't give the full experience, and the Oculus dev kits 1 and 2 were too limited even without considering input.

Quoting: anthIt probably seems like moving the goalposts, but I think you need to have used one of the consumer versions including tracked controllers (ie Vive or Rift+Touch). Just the headset won't give the full experience, and the Oculus dev kits 1 and 2 were too limited even without considering input.

I tried a roller coaster ride on Occulus (and my fear of heights did trigger!) and "Monster Escape" on Playstation. When running through the town as a monster, having to destroy skyscrapers with the head, I automatically moved my hands to hit them. Because I was the monster.

i will wait few generations of improvements in VR and also price drops.

One day, all VR vendors should sell them as "monitors" with standards. Not like atm that this game supports only this VR and that game supports only that game. thats just stupid.

So this is the year of VR on Linux? Omg clear out the "anticipated" nominees and add THAT to the category at this year's GOTY, Liam!

While I agree it still needs those big titles I'm so totally buying it the instance it's out.

Trying good vr like htc vive or occulus is like a religious experience, is not a joke. All who say is shit is because never tried. You never will understand watching videos or reading about it. Is something that cheat your brain in a increible way.

I preordered my vive, i had to wait 2 months, meanwhile i was watching videos , reading forums and my hype was increasing. But inside me, i was thinking, it will be like a monitor in your face that will follow your head, like if you move the mouse with your head. And i was afraid that the hype will ruin my experience with it and think is a shit. But when it arrived to my home, i installed it, and just with two seconds with that htc vive in my head i knew two thing, my hype was ridiculous and the future of vr is here. You don't see a monitor, you see a world in front of you. You see clearly what is far from you and what is close, exactly how you see in real. It's just incredible.


Last edited by bubexel on 14 January 2017 at 11:16 am UTC

Quoting: bubexelYou don't see a monitor, you see a world in front of you.

What I didn't understand for a long time that its not about 3D.
And I wouldn't call it "a world in front of you".
It's a world around you.
Using it was like stepping into the monitor after 35 years of sitting in front of it.

I'm not sure how good games actually will be, and I'm not sure if it will replace conventional gaming.
But it's a great thing for sure, and I really hope it's here to stay.

I don't think VR is "shit" or anything, and I'm not saying modern VR isn't technically impressive. A cool visual experience and all the clever gimmicks VR brings to the table just aren't enough for me, when they come with downsides like bulky hardware on my face, unnatural movement and so on. I'm sure VR in a more advanced form is "the future", but there's some way to go until I'm comfortable jumping into the hype train.