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PayPalWhile many of us are no doubt waiting on whatever the Steam Frame turns out to be, Valve have released the latest stable SteamVR release with lots of bug fixes. There's even a couple in there for Linux too.
Valve say they are continuing to focus on OpenXR as their preferred API for new games and apps, and so a lot of their work keeps focusing on that. Which would also make sense if the Steam Frame arrives as a VR kit, sticking to an open standard would be good.
Here's everything that's changed:
SteamVR:
SteamVR Home:
- Fix a crash that could occur when the AMD GPU driver was installed but no AMD GPU was present.
- Fixed compatibility mode bindings showing as custom bindings when they are remapped default bindings.
- Automatically prefer installing the Oasis Driver for Windows Mixed Reality when running on a Windows version too new to support the Windows driver.
- Roomview is independently enabled for VR vs non-VR gameplay.
- Minor UX improvements to improve consistency with Steam (window reflectivity, colors, etc).
- Added setting (general -> advanced) to disable IPD HUD.
- Reduced memory usage for user interface textures (improved performance).
- Fix for the Default / Custom binding toggle in the Settings UI not working properly in some cases.
- Fix for Recenter and Room View buttons not showing up in some cases.
- Fix desktop settings showing a completely black screen (under error reporting conditions).
- By default, Controller Compatibility Mode will now show users their physical controller render models (but still return simulated names to games).
- Added new options to Controller Compatibility Mode render model simulation.
- Fixed a few cases where controller input would be broken if a game or steam had been moved.
- Fixed the Input Debugger not displaying some content correctly.
- Fixed some issues with Pico controllers using Controller Compatibility Mode.
Linux:
- Fixed crash when hosting or joining rooms.
Steam Link:
- Fix rare crash when attempting to load render models.
- Fix settings crash when navigating to “Developer” in SteamVR Settings.
OpenXR:
- Fix excess CPU usage that could occur when the performance graph was never visible during a session.
- New frame pacing: Improves “popping,” judder, and other smoothness / latency issues for controllers or other animated content. Note this change does affect timing for VR applications on the host PC; please report any new gameplay issues.
Developer:
- Support XR_KHR_locate_spaces.
- Fixed a bug where apps that didn’t submit projection layers would see a 100ms wait on alternating frames with some drivers.
- When a requested time querying xrLocateSpace is outside of reasonable bounds, return XR_SUCCESS with an empty pose, instead of returning XR_ERROR_TIME_INVALID.
- Support XR_META_recommended_layer_resolution.
- Register SteamVR as an available runtime in the Windows Registry when SteamVR is defaulted to the active runtime.
- UX architecture improvements to improve consistency with Steam, including library versions and error handling.
- Improved UX for 'mirrored device debug rendering'.
Source: Valve
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
About the author - Liam Dawe
I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly checked on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly.
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Steam VR is an easy way to get into VR, on Windows and on Linux (does it still work on Mac?).
Yet, it does have issues and even more on Linux
Here's what I learnt in the last months condensed:
Hope this helps :)
Last edited by Corben on 12 Nov 2025 at 1:00 pm UTC
Yet, it does have issues and even more on Linux
Here's what I learnt in the last months condensed:- If you use a wired HMD you're better off using an AMD GPU. For nVidia it does work, yet if the game is hitting the performance maximum on your card, where async reprojection should help, you'll have issues if using any nVidia driver after 550.
- You can toggle async reprojection on Linux by editing:
$HOME/.steam/steam/config/steamvr.vrsettings
And set this to true or false in the steamvr section:
"enableLinuxVulkanAsync" : false, - Changing Controllerbindings within VR is a hit or miss, sometimes it takes ages for the UI to show. It's better to do it in the browser on your desktop:
http://localhost:27062/dashboard/controllerbinding.html
- To get better performance use Monado instead of Steam VR. The opensource OpenXR runtime is performing better. In short, start Steam, start Monado (it'll show a grey screen if not using wlx-overlay-s, see below), start a game, and it'll render in your HMD
- Use Envision to build Monado locally, it'll also bundle OpenComposite for OpenVR applications. Here are my env vars for Monado + nVidia, enabling represenation (async reprojection) and a fix for the tracking delay:
XRT_COMPOSITOR_USE_PRESENT_WAIT=1 # to fix headset tracking latency
If you want to change the refresh rate of the index, change the XRT_COMPOSITOR_DESIRED_MODE to one of these values:
U_PACING_COMP_TIME_FRACTION_PERCENT=90
XRT_COMPOSITOR_COMPUTE=1 # async reprojection
XRT_COMPOSITOR_SCALE_PERCENTAGE=140
U_PACING_APP_USE_MIN_FRAME_PERIOD=1 # this and the next for float fps
U_PACING_APP_IMMEDIATE_WAIT_FRAME_RETURN=1
XRT_COMPOSITOR_DESIRED_MODE=0 # set index to 90 Hz
XRT_CURATED_GUI=1
XRT_JSON_LOG=1
XRT_DEBUG_UI=1
DEBUG [choose_best_vk_mode_auto] Available Vk direct mode 0: [email protected]
DEBUG [choose_best_vk_mode_auto] Available Vk direct mode 1: [email protected]
DEBUG [choose_best_vk_mode_auto] Available Vk direct mode 2: [email protected]
DEBUG [choose_best_vk_mode_auto] Available Vk direct mode 3: [email protected]
DEBUG [choose_best_vk_mode_auto] Auto choosing Vk direct mode 3: [email protected] - You can use Steam VR's roomsetup, when starting Monado via Envision and the lighthouse driver (the base stations), it'll pick up the configuration from Steam VR, so do not press "Calibration" in Envision.
- You'll have no issues with async reprojection when using a wireless headset as computation is handled in the HMD. Steam Link VR is now working on Linux, yet... as with Steam VR... using Monado instead gives better performance. Setting up WiVRn is similar to setting up Monado, in fact WiVRn uses Monado. Just start WiVRn then via Envision, install the App on your Quest and connect. Works also with wlx-overlay-s then to interact with your Desktop
- To see your Desktop in VR use wlx-overlay-s, which can be enabled as a plugin within Envision. Once it is installed, you can also start it once manually when running Steam VR, it'll add itself as overlay also for Steam VR. Can be disabled again by going to the Steam VR settings and check for the Autostart entry.
- VR doesn't work wired on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS using Wayland, as Gnome 46 is missing DRM leasing. X11 works, or using a wireless HMD.
- VR works on the ROG Ally with an eGPU attached (in my case XG Mobile 2022: AMD RX 6850M XT) using Cachy OS. I wasn't able to get any VR things up and running with Bazzite. I'm dualbooting into Windows for enabling the eGPU and using all-ways-egpu to disable the iGPU (all-ways-egpu configure egpu). Apparently there is a performance it when the internal screen is also attached. Which means it looks like an external Monitor is needed for this kind of setup.
- wlx-overlay-s will not open if the Steam VR dashboard is open. wlx-overlay-s seems to cause issues using Steam Link VR and might have to be disabled, games migh load but will show a black screen.
- Like ProtonDB there is a community driven database for VR games: https://db.vronlinux.org
- Check out the Linux VR Adventures wiki and discord https://lvra.gitlab.io/ , you'll also get help there in all questions VR on Linux, Envision, Monado, WiVRn, etc.
Hope this helps :)
Last edited by Corben on 12 Nov 2025 at 1:00 pm UTC
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I wish I had the above comment a month ago
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