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What is it? WiVRn is an application that wirelessly streams a virtual reality game to a standalone VR headset from a Linux computer. It's has different levels of support across various Meta Quest headsets, Pico, HTC Vive and others.
The developer sent word to GamingOnLinux about the update:
Version 26.2 improves accuracy for head and controller tracking, adds support for SlimeVR trackers as well as many other bugfixes and other minor features.
This adds to the existing features of low latency video transmission, eye-tracked foveated encoding, hand tracking, mixed setups with lighthouse devices and many more.
WiVRn has been in development since 2022 and is always open for contributions in code, art, UI and translations. We'd love to have the open source stack be the best one on Linux.
WiVRn server component is available on Fedora and NixOS official repositories, Arch User Repository, Gentoo Guru and Flathub. The client component is available on Meta store for Quest headsets and as an APK for other vendors such as HTC, Pico and Samsung.
Also check out WayVR (https://github.com/wlx-team/wayvr) to access the desktop and advanced features while in VR.
You can get more information on the Linux VR Adventures (https://lvra.gitlab.io/) site and Discord or Matrix (https://matrix.to/#/#linux-vr-adventures:matrix.org).
See more on the GitHub page.
I only have the Valve Index, so wireless streaming isn't something I'm able to test out currently, but I've heard a lot of good things about WiVRn.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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Yet again, with Envision you get the hottest and latest Version (except you specify the git commit), imho it works best as you don't have to fiddle around much with Steam launch options which are needed when running WiVRn as standalone.
If you use envision, also select XRizer instead of OpenComposite (or have a 2nd profile with it in Envision), as with XRizer you can play After the Fall (the Left 4 Dead VR kinda game from Vertigo Games).
Another hint if you are on Ubuntu: to build XRizer you need a newer version of Rust and Vulkan. Rust can be updated via rustup, Vulkan can be updated via packages from https://vulkan.lunarg.com/sdk/home#linux. When installing the Vulkan SDK I had to get rid of package manually though... glslang or so? (you'll see when installing 😆)
In combination with WayVR (previously name wlx-overlay-s) and WayVR dashboard this give a great experience in VR. Since one of the last updates WayVR dashboard is even working with starting applications in VR on nVidia for me, so you can have some kind of spacial computing with all the applications up and showing theirs windows in VR. You can group then, create a profile and let the apps autostart. Really cool!
Another benefit of using wireless VR: async reprojection. As mentioned in a previous comment, nVidia has issues with asnyc reprojection after driver 550 (and still happening with up to 590). This is not an issue when using WiVRn as async reprojection happens in the HMD.
And seeing this already all working so well... I'm thrilled to see what happens when Steam Frame becomes availabe for everybody.
Btw: You can run WayVR in Steam VR too, haven't tested it recently, before I had to disable its autostart as it caused games to render black in the HMD. Maybe it's fixed by now.
VR is so cool! And we got quite some nice games in the last two years, some I got:
- Bulletstorm VR (they fixed the performance)
- Arizona Sunshine Remake
- Metro: Awakening
- Alien: Rogue Incursion VR (yes, it has now a non VR version too)
- Arken Age
- iAi (a VR coop game)
- Wanderer: The Fragments of Fate (more than just a remake)
- Of Lies And Rain (has some Half Life: Alyx vibes)
And the classics like Beat Saber, Synth Riders, Pistol Whip etc. of course!
If VR gets easier to be used wireless with this WiVRn update, so more (Linux) users get into VR, that's awesome! A Quest 3S is a really good entry point, I'm using my Meta account (which I just created for this) just to download the WiVRn app... 😅
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