What are you up to Valve? Gamescope, software used on the Steam Deck for Gaming Mode that handles displaying everything recently had some VR work pulled in. Perhaps for the upcoming Deckard VR HMD?
Pointed out by Brad Lynch on Twitter, it's certainly raising a few eyebrows. On the GitHub page the code merge request titled "vr_session: Initial implementation" was pulled into Gamescope 2 days ago and the question is — why?
Thanks to many different sources (like Lynch above), we've known for a while that Valve appear to be working on a new VR HMD code-named Deckard. One that will seemingly support wireless play without it needing to be attached to a PC, but also supporting being connected to a PC to run games that need more power. The standalone mode will no doubt run Linux, and perhaps this Gamescope work is progress towards that end.
It could also be completely unrelated of course.
What do you think Valve are up to?
Valve have been on a bit of a roll lately getting Proton into a pretty incredible state for running Windows games on Linux, releasing the Steam Deck powered by SteamOS Linux, over 7,000 games now rated at least Playable for Steam Deck, the HDR teasers (#1, #2), breaking their own records, getting Steam into Tesla vehicles and so much more.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Some you may have missed, popular articles from the last month:
The comments on this article are closed.
All posts need to follow our rules. For users logged in: please hit the Report Flag icon on any post that breaks the rules or contains illegal / harmful content. Guest readers can email us for any issues.
17 comments
Gamescope is just a generic layer. So yes, it will have support for VR on the deck if that support is needed in Gamescope. It would be foolish to have a VR specific build of gamescope, because then you will have 2 versions to maintain.
I mean: the deck has also support for iscsi, fcoe, dj controllers. It would be foolish to step away too far from a vanilla setup because it is hard to maintain.
The only special thing about the linux kernel is that it has patches for the deck that are not yet in vanilla.
So why would they make seperate builds for gamescope.
If anything: we now know that deckard runs linux and gamescope (we already knew it runs linux, now we know it runs gamescope too).
I wish gamescope became so generic (It can't because it uses vulkan standards that they have yet to submit as a standard), that I already could run it on my desktop.
I mean: the deck has also support for iscsi, fcoe, dj controllers. It would be foolish to step away too far from a vanilla setup because it is hard to maintain.
The only special thing about the linux kernel is that it has patches for the deck that are not yet in vanilla.
So why would they make seperate builds for gamescope.
If anything: we now know that deckard runs linux and gamescope (we already knew it runs linux, now we know it runs gamescope too).
I wish gamescope became so generic (It can't because it uses vulkan standards that they have yet to submit as a standard), that I already could run it on my desktop.
2 Likes, Who?
Could be Deckard related, or simply them getting VR to work smoothly with Steam OS. If they want Steam OS to be a viable alternative to Windows for gaming, they need to get VR working properly with it.
It would be a great way to showcase PCVR at events or at VR arcades as well. It would make the experience a bit more simple, like PSVR, without having to deal with the jank of windows.
It would be a great way to showcase PCVR at events or at VR arcades as well. It would make the experience a bit more simple, like PSVR, without having to deal with the jank of windows.
3 Likes, Who?
mr-victory Jan 14, 2023
It can't because it uses vulkan standards that they have yet to submit as a standardDo you have source for that?
1 Likes, Who?
VR support, as in proper VR support, is the ONE final thing tying me down to Windows. I can give up some anticheat games, I can't give up VR. So any progress on this front is greatly appreciated beyond a means that words can describe.
Edit: It just occurred to me after I made this comment that adding Gamescope may be a prelude to getting Motion Smoothing working within SteamVR, since after all, if they can have special stuff like HDR working inside of it, maybe they can do that too. Exciting.
Last edited by WMan22 on 14 January 2023 at 6:33 pm UTC
Edit: It just occurred to me after I made this comment that adding Gamescope may be a prelude to getting Motion Smoothing working within SteamVR, since after all, if they can have special stuff like HDR working inside of it, maybe they can do that too. Exciting.
Last edited by WMan22 on 14 January 2023 at 6:33 pm UTC
2 Likes, Who?
This is for SteamOS, not for Deckard.
0 Likes
rustybroomhandle Jan 14, 2023
This is for SteamOS, not for Deckard.
And what flavour of Linux do you think Deckard will run in standalone mode?
7 Likes, Who?
This is for SteamOS, not for Deckard.
And what flavour of Linux do you think Deckard will run in standalone mode?
Of course, but what does that have to do with this?
Because of some trifle, intrigues are woven. The development of SteamOS as a whole is much more important for Linux than the focus on a single device.
0 Likes
I hope, that VR on Linux gets some love and gets in a good shape.
I would like to buy an Index, but for that much money, it must work properly.
I would like to buy an Index, but for that much money, it must work properly.
2 Likes, Who?
We need to get some decent Linux native VR titles as well. I know we can run some with proton, but i think the performance could suffer a lot if it wasn't native.
2 Likes, Who?
slaapliedje Jan 14, 2023
As long as you can hook into it and dream of electric sheep!This is for SteamOS, not for Deckard.
And what flavour of Linux do you think Deckard will run in standalone mode?
2 Likes, Who?
It was known that Gamescope is being used by Valve for VR already since November: https://github.com/Plagman/gamescope/commit/279146669257d374a367dce965e94e6f6792b782 :P
1 Likes, Who?
It was known that Gamescope is being used by Valve for VR already since November: https://github.com/Plagman/gamescope/commit/279146669257d374a367dce965e94e6f6792b782 :P
Good find. But there's a big difference between a six-word comment in a random git commit and a member of Valve's team making a public announcement, I think!
1 Likes, Who?
I'm not convinced that's true. There are plenty of good distros, SteamOS in itself is just one more.This is for SteamOS, not for Deckard.
And what flavour of Linux do you think Deckard will run in standalone mode?
Of course, but what does that have to do with this?
Because of some trifle, intrigues are woven. The development of SteamOS as a whole is much more important for Linux than the focus on a single device.
What makes it significant is high sales (or in Deckard's case at least high profile) hardware running it preinstalled.
Mind you, that doesn't make you wrong about the significance of this particular event--might have nothing to do with Deckard. Or at least, have Deckard as only a secondary consideration . . . I mean, I find it hard to imagine doing a thing that makes VR on Linux work better, without having somewhere in your mind the thought that it might be good for your upcoming VR hardware that runs Linux.
1 Likes, Who?
TheRiddick Jan 16, 2023
If they want VR under Steam OS with future VR hardware then they'll need special compatibility profiles for steam deck level of hardware (assuming they want to have stand alone one day).
Only some games will be capable of running VR on steam deck, stuff like superhot perhaps?
Only some games will be capable of running VR on steam deck, stuff like superhot perhaps?
0 Likes
rustybroomhandle Jan 16, 2023
Deckard is ARM based, so I'm going out on a limb here and predicting that it will not actually be used to run games locally, but instead be used to stream from your more powerful PC hardware.
1 Likes, Who?
mr-victory Jan 16, 2023
Deckard is ARM based, so I'm going out on a limb here and predicting that it will not actually be used to run games locally, but instead be used to stream from your more powerful PC hardware.Source?
EDIT: Found it, near the bottom in https://uploadvr.com/brad-lynch-new-deckard-findings/
Last edited by mr-victory on 16 January 2023 at 2:17 pm UTC
2 Likes, Who?
rustybroomhandle Jan 16, 2023
Deckard is ARM based, so I'm going out on a limb here and predicting that it will not actually be used to run games locally, but instead be used to stream from your more powerful PC hardware.Source?
EDIT: Found it, near the bottom in https://uploadvr.com/brad-lynch-new-deckard-findings/
Too lazy to Google now where I saw it mentioned. I should have qualified it with "supposedly" though since we don't actually have a any confirmed facts about this thing and it's a lot of speculation.
1 Likes, Who?
Patreon
PayPal
See more from me