I'm trying to buy a Vive Pro, but it's really difficult

[LaurenKollas]

Like a lot of people, my computer can not be next to the play area. From what I hear, the Vive cables do not allow any leeway - if your computer is not next to the play area, you'll probably run out of cable. If you want to pull your cables in the ceiling - you'll probably run out of cable.

 

And so my nightmare begins:

 

- What extension cables work with the vive?

- Do I need all 3 or just usb and displayport?

- Do I need active or passive or what the heck are those?

- What is the length of all the cables for Vive? Why is this information impossible to find?

- Do I need male-male cables or should I use the vive cables or just the ones I extend with or...?

 

This is a lot of frustration and work that could be removed by having ALL THE INFORMATION about Vive on a single page, with pictures. (From all angles.) Including things like how big is the screw for the lighthouses.

 

Okay, time to go back to read reddit and browse amazon just so I can buy my Vive Pro...

[HackPerception]

 The cable length on both the Vive and the Pro is ~5 meters (from the linkbox to the HMD), enough to cover a standard size playspace. Extending a video signal on a Vive is alot easier than on a Pro due to the lower bandwidth of the standard Vive.  

 

For the standard Vive: There is a wiki of tested cables here... You will generally have better luck with active cables. Active cables boost the signal to noise ratio via internal amplification circuitry - passive cables just transmit the signal unaltered which means that over longer runs, signal degradation becomes the limiting factor. 

 

For the Pro: Since the HMD is pretty new, there is alot less real-world data about which cables work and which don't. Per the video signal,  generally speaking, your minimum requirements would be an active DP 1.2+ cable capable of supporting 4k at 120hz. You would also need an active USB cable as well. Since virtually all extension solutions remain untested with Pro, your mileage may vary. We are investigating more official extension solutions for the Pro currently and the Vive Wireless Adapter will eliminate the need for extensions in many use cases in Q3 of this year. 

[paulasheville]

Don't bother until they fix the audio issue. I just got mine and the volume is about 50% of the audio strap volume at 100%. They're having big issues.