HackPerception

, Mirroring the comments here, you'll want to ensure the HMD firmware is up to date and that you're on a fairly recent Nvidia driver. The HMD firmware update contains the latest DAC profile. Like everybody is saying, the audio is piped via DP so more recent Nvidia drivers are required (the audio is not rendered via your soundcard). You may have better luck if you "disable" the Vive Pro Multimedia option and force the Nvidia audio option into being the default. After all of this, it is possible that you have a bad HMD but your reports are pretty consistent with the Nvidia/DAC bugs - in some cases the various layers of tech just fail to initalize the device properly but finding the root of the issue is pretty difficult.

, a few of us are talking internally about how needle in the haystack finding this issue is - we're really happy that you figured it out given how specific the problem was. Based on this thread, some of us are going to start asking people about their GPU temperatures as that would have been the only indication that this was a GPU based issue. Typically you want the GPU to be at or below 70c. Here's hoping it's smooth sailing from here on out, especially now that motion smoothing is being tested.

, I'm glad you were able to find out what's going on with your setup! That would have been virtually impossible to remotely diagnose. I was just writing up a response to you when I saw your update and there was no way any of the stuff I was suggesting would have actually helped u_u

These LED patterns unfortunately indicate a mechanical issue that will require physical servicing. The fastest way to get these repaired would be to request an RMA via the live chat for your region - in the US this is found at https://www.vive.com/us/support/contactus/. Avoid using the email us form on that page.As these basestations are manufactured by Valve - their care process is a little more complex on the backend and may take more time than 1.0 stations which are directly manufactured by us. That said, queue times at repair centers in all regions are on the low side right now.

, Are the basestations emitting tracking lasers when this occurs? If the stations are emitting scan data, you'll be able to see the faint red glow from the IR sync LEDs which you can see highlighted in this photo

, I haven't heard anything quite like this - do you have any third party dashboards that are installed such as OpenVRAdvancedSettings? When you hit this button, does CPU or GPU usage spike (as monitored by Window's task manager)? The newest SteamVR versions have some bugs relating to dashboards - it may be related to that. When you install the Vive software, it really doesn't affect the SteamVR installation. Can you try switching to the safety branch that's currently being hosted - instructions on how to roll back can be found here. This may help address the issue and have the added benefit of forcing SteamVR itself to reinstall if you switch back to the main branch.

This is a repost of this blog post: Vive Team • 10.29.18 Today, we are excited to announce that HTC VIVE has officially joined the VirtualLink™ Consortium and is contributing to the development of VirtualLink, a new open industry standard that enables next-generation VR headsets to connect more simply to PCs and other devices. This new specification uses a single, high-bandwidth USB Type-C™ connector cable developed to make connecting to current and future VR headsets more seamless. Most major tethered headsets require at least two or three cables to work; VirtualLink aims to reduce that to one. VirtualLink is a USB-C “Alternate Mode” connector that will help condense the various types of VR headset plugs used across multiple companies into a single, lightweight cord. This not only makes for an easy setup for your VIVE, but other headsets as well—next-generation headsets included—setting you up with all the power, display, and data you’ll need. The VirtualLink connector includes support for four lanes of HBR3 DisplayPort® for high-resolution displays, USB 3.1 Gen2 (SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps) for headset cameras, and sensors and up to 27W of power delivery. “At HTC, we strive to make the best VR experience with crisp resolution, audio, and ergonomics for our customers,” said Daniel O’Brien, HTC VIVE GM for the Americas. “Through our work with VirtualLink, we are working to define not only a connection standard for future VR products but are also undertaking important work to help to define the future of what VR can be.” Not only will this new open industry standard streamline cables, but it could help bring VR to an even broader audience—not just those with high-powered gaming PCs. In the future, with this new connector, VR could be used on a variety of USB-C supported devices, such as laptops, tablets, and notebooks. “We’re thrilled to welcome HTC VIVE to the consortium of leading companies committing to VirtualLink,” said Rambod Jacoby, Chairman of the VirtualLink Consortium and Principal Technologist at NVIDIA, one of the consortium’s founding members. “VirtualLink is not only streamlining the cords needed for a high-powered experience, but also helping make the next phase of VR more accessible to even more people.” More details are available at www.VirtualLink.org. VirtualLink is a trademark of the VirtualLink Consortium. USB Type-C and USB-C are trademarks of USB Implementers Forum. Other company and product nam

, we've actually been working with Nvidia on this to approach problems people have had on a driver level. The more recent Nvidia drivers contain tweaks that should result in improved audio performance when using the Nvidia driver (as opposed to the Vive multimedia audio usb driver). Most people report having better audio fidelity when using the Nvidia DP driver. It's important to remember that the hardware and software that's driving the HMD can have a tremendous effect on what is actually outputted to the drivers and that not all of what's reported has been reproducible, especially considering that audio is a subjective phenomena and everybody has different preferences towards the balance of the audio. You should be experiencing something similar to the DAS' audio profile.

, it should work granted that you're plugging it into a QC 3.0 charging port. Kinda defeats the point of wireless though.

, Okay - so this means that you've captured a play session where the HMD worked and then failed - this should result in some helpful feedback in the SteamVR system log. Take a look at your system report (or link it to me via PM) and hopefully we'll pull some context out of it. I'm very hesitant to agree with "something in the HMD" is causing the USB to disconnect - the HMD itself are fairly robust and pretty binary - they either work or they don't work. It could be the 3-in-1 which is more fragile or the PC itself which has a remarkably fragile software ecosystem due to how Windows, SteamVR, and all of the other random software on it interacts with each other.

, No - the adapter is only compatible with desktop motherboards at this time. If you try to use a Thunderbolt 3 PCI-E enclosure it will not work.

I want to reiterate that the Vive devices are indoor only devices. The screen is really the primary concern; it takes only an incidental exposure to direct sunlight to permanently damage your screens (which would not fall under warranty). The lenses are basically magnifying glasses. It's really the screen that's the main concern for damage although the basestations also have optical elements. SteamVR tracking will generally break in moderate to direct sunlight as it's akin to a giant IR flash. The sun is literally a giant IR emitter. Your shade structure may be opaque to IR depending on the material used. The wireless linkbox does not talk to the basestation. The distance from the linkbox to the basestation is irrelevant; its the distance from the PC-side transceiver to the HMD-side transceiver that's important. No; you need to avoid direct sunlight period. Sunlight filtered through glass may have less of an impact on tracking due to the construction of the window but the same principals outlined above are still the same. Think of the Vive as a vampire; it hates sunlight and mirrors.

, All current VR devices including the Vive and Vive Pro are indoor only devices. The primary risk actually comes from the fact that the lenses act like... well, lenses and will focus sunlight onto the display and burn it. Even a momentary ray of incidentally sunlight is enough to permanently damage to the display. That said, SteamVR tracking can also break in direct sunlight as it's an IR based technology - the Sun is basically a giant IR emitter and overwhelms the sensors. All outdoor setups I've personally done have been at night; I've never had a good experience during the day but others have had mixed experiences when using a shade structure. If you're using the Vive in the sun, you'll likely get uncomfortably hot really quickly if the tracking works. There is no first party way to manage multiple chaperone configs - there however are two third party OpenVR dashboards that can help. The first is OpenVR Advanced Settings which is widely regarded as the best all around solution for this and the other was Chaparone Switcher but I think that's now a depreciated project. As long as the basestations are 100% stationary, you can switch between profiles without issue with this tool. If you move the stations, The PC-side wireless transceiver (aka 'wireless linkbox') is not tracked - it's position really only affects your signal quality. The basestations are passive and just spit out IR timing data - the HMD only directly talks to them to do power management. The PC-side transciever only talks to the corresponding HMD-side transciever. Signal quality and range actually depend tremendously on the RF environment as well as the physical layout of the space as 60Ghz bounces off walls. It's way too complex to go into detail here but if you're trying to set up a 6x6m space, you're likely fine mounting it in the middle of either of the two axis - putting it in one of the corners would lead to a ~8.5m hypotenuse meaning you may have signal issues in the opposite corner of the transceiver. You don't need a safety buffer so much as you need a few feet simply for the FOV of the transmitter to be wide enough to actually be useable.

, This may be related to Nvidia drivers. Can you try updating to the newest drivers? Using DDDU can help ensure a smooth installation.

, that CPU is on the lower end of the speed spectrum but does meet the minimum requirements. How much of your CPU usage is related to VR specific processes? Are there any other processes taking up a sizable portion of your clock?

I just wanted to chime in and say that we did add a feature to remove expired subs from your library in client version 1.2.5.35 based off user feedback.

, plugged into what? With some output devices, having 2 bars on a 5 hour charge actually makes sense. Please report back on your charging source and if possible switch over to the highest amperage charger you have on hand. A couple of notes for this thread based off conversations with other customers: The battery that ships with the Vive is ~10,000ma, about 4-5 times the capacity of a standard smartphone battery.The quickest way to charge it is via a QC 3.0 enabled charging device/port. The chargers that ship with a Vive kit used for the controllers only output 100ma. They are not suitable to charge the Wireless adapter. USB 2.0 ports typically output 500ma USB 3.0 ports typically output 900ma

, I am seeking additional help on this. A quick question: Which motherboard are you using? Are you using any OEM "performance/gaming" tools such as MSIAfterburner?

, Branches of SteamVR released after-June have broken some aspects of the Vive Tracker integration with SteamVR. Valve has released a temporary branch of SteamVR that will restore these integrations to their state on 6/21/18: SteamVR v1527117754. As a first step, I would recommend switching over to this branch for development purposes. should be able to provide more specific support on this.

, I'm confused about your post, especially the first sentence. All public messaging has stated it's a PCI-E card and suitable only for desktops - I've pasted a screen shot from the product page below that lists the system requirements as well as the Amazon store page which lists this requirement. I'll make a request to see if we can update the Amazon product page with a photo of the kit's contents. The Wireless adapter as it currently stands is a desktop only product. There is no planned support for USB-3 for a variety of technical reasons not limited to bandwidth limitations as well as non-standardization of USB/GPU connectivity between different motherboards/laptops. We are stating that it's only compatible with desktop motherboards and are not currently endorsing external PCI-E enclosures. The Pro is certainly compatible with MiniDisplayport - it's the same standard at Displayport just a different header. After all, the linkbox only accepts miniDP as it's video in. We recommend the 3-foot variation of this cable: http://a.co/d/4AYBtvu. That said, Vive Pro is generally also best used on desktops and laptop support can be hit and miss due to how OEMs implement DP 1.2; especially if you have a GTX 1060 (which is below the min requirements anyway). Pro is very incompatible with HDMI.

, can you please send me a PM with your preffered email address? I would like to put you in touch directly with the team responsible for the installer.

Moderator's note: In some cases, this appears to be caused by the SteamVR folder not being in the directory that the Displaylink portion of the installer package expects it to be. If you are experiencing this, aside from reinstalling SteamVR - it's seemingly important to install SteamVR to the location that the Steam client defaults to which is typically C:\ drive which is often C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SteamVR

, can you tell us what your CPU usage looks like when this behavior occurs (via task manager)? Are you using a super sampling value higher than 1.0? Do you have any OEM performance tools running in the background (i.e. MSI Afterburner)? The Vive Wireless software allows you to switch between 3 separate channels - do the other channels improve performance? Are you close to any sources of RF? (The SteamVR home environment is actually pretty performance heavy and not the best representative scene, btw.)

, I got back some additional info. The Viveport installer and software make outgoing connections to our servers’ TCP port 80 (HTTP) and TCP port 443 (HTTPS). DNS name resolution to the DNS service on the client side utilizes UDP port 53 & TCP port 53. These are the wildcard domains that are currently used (changes over time): *.htc.com *.htcsense.com *.htcvive.com *.vive.com *.viveport.com & viveport.com *.htccomm.com.cn *.reloadedtech.com *.vive.link & vive.link

, I've asked for additional information on the network config requirements and will report back when I gain more specifics.