Confused - Reverb G2; WMR; SteamVR

[AJZip 251]

Hi

I'm not a beginner...but I am very confused.  It's all about whether WMR needs Steam VR to run.

 

I have used VR for a number of years, originally Xplane-11 with the Reverb Gen 1, then X-plane with the Reverb Gen 2 and for the past year, MSFS with the Reverb Gen 2..  

Originally, for use with X-plane (or was it WMR?) the set up required me to load 'Steam VR' and 'WMR for Steam VR'. Additionally, in the Steam VR settings, the OpenXR version for X-plane was preferred as 'Steam VR'.

 

For MSFS, the preferred OpenXR version is the default Windows Version - switchable with the 'Fix It' warning on the WMR pop up window.

 

I have no intention at the moment to use X-plane in VR or any other Steam program.  I just want to use VR for MSFS.  Can I therefore uninstall the 'WMR for SteamVR' and the 'Steam VR' ?  Will my headset still work with MSFS? 

If the answer is 'Yes', then great!

If the answer is 'No'...then I have a few more related questions  🙂 

 

Thanks in advance

***PS  My MSFS version is direct from Microsoft, not the Steam version

Edited January 4, 2023 by AJZip

[TheFamilyMan 280]

Yes!  Absolutely no need for SteamVR to run VR for MSFS.

As for other things that need SteamVR, an excellent VR 'work around' for the G2 is OpenComposite.

 

[AJZip 251]

6 hours ago, TheFamilyMan said:

Yes!  Absolutely no need for SteamVR to run VR for MSFS.

As for other things that need SteamVR, an excellent VR 'work around' for the G2 is OpenComposite.

 

That's great - thanks, @TheFamilyMan  

So later this morning (after taking a note of my settings, of course 🙂 )  I'm going to uninstall both 'Steam VR' and 'WMR for SteamVR', both of which were originally (still are?) required for X-plane.

The reason I feel that I need to do this - apart from the fact that I pretty much only use VR now for MSFS - is that I have never been able to run 'OpenXR Tools for Windows Mixed Reality' and therefore have never been completely sure what resolution I have been starting off with in MSFS in VR.  It loads but then simply stalls.  To get OpenXR Tools to run, I've updated Windows, and now am even running on a different motherboard but it won't run.  I'm pretty sure it is a clash with the WMR/SteamVR stuff going on in the background - and your OpenComposite link I think starts to explain why that might be.

If I can get that working, then I will know that I'm starting off at the recommended 100% resolution for using the OpenXR Toolkit...which, ironically, does run fine.

I'll let you know how I get on 🙂

 

[AJZip 251]

Hmmm...

As I suspected I might, I've had some issues.  On trying to reinstall the Reverb G2, I've got into the (common, it seems) endless loop of the 'system check' it does before it loads the WMR software:

Before trying to reinstall, I had already done:

- Update of the BIOS

- Double check update of Windows

And since getting into the above loop, I've tried a number of the things folks suggest on the net:

-  A Regedit tweak to add a DWORD for 'AllowFailedSystemChecks' data value 1 in the Holographic\First Run folder

- Windows 10 re-install

No change at all - just gets to this bit and sticks

 

Steam also won't reinstall WMR for SteamVR (gets to the same stage and sticks) so I am temporarily VR-less.  I'll post a separate thread to see if anyone has any other ideas short of doing an absolutely clean install of Windows on a fresh M.2 SSD (which might be my next step in any case)

I'll let you know how I get on.  

[AJZip 251]

Well - been working on this all day...but sorted.

I dug deeper into the Register Editing (regedit) suggestions that both the MS Support and a couple of the Youtube folks said.  Trouble is that it was a bit of a varying story.  One delved into the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINES and one did the same trick in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER to basically bypass the hardware/systems check.  In the end, I did the same change in both and this time it finally loaded the Mixed Reality Portal and I have VR in MSFS again  😃

I really, really don't like delving into registries - and with a Windows Media app on a Windows operating system using a Windows Mixed Reality headset - well, to be honest, I don't see why I should have to.

Anyway, I think it calls for a whisky instead of Horlicks with bedtime only an hour away.  Started this at breakfast!  But great to be back in VR! 

[TheFamilyMan 280]

Glad that you got it sorted out, I find this sort of stuff crazy making.  In watching the HP video on setting up G2, it shows them running the 'Get Started' step of the Mixed Reality Portal app before the G2 is connect to the computer.  Don't know if this detail is relevant now, but if I ever run into this problem I'll remember to dig up your solution here.  Hope you have success with getting the OpenXR Tools for WMR app installed.

[AJZip 251]

32 minutes ago, TheFamilyMan said:

Hope you have success with getting the OpenXR Tools for WMR app installed.

No 😄

I think that one is for another day (and maybe another version of Windows).  I installed it, it didn't work and, even though it wasn't running, it stopped MSFS loading.  I uninstalled it and MSFS loaded again.  Such is life  🙂

 

[AJZip 251]

19 hours ago, TheFamilyMan said:

Hope you have success with getting the OpenXR Tools for WMR app installed.

Definitely not working.  And it makes no sense.

It downloads fine from the MS Store.  However, with the VR headset on or off, when it boots up, the tabs all appear but on the opening settings tab, there is just the blue spinning circle of doom.  I can move to the other tabs but, eg, the demo doesn't run and there's a ! triangle there.

And now here's the thing.  I can exit it - so it is not running - and MSFS won't load.  It gets 7/8 of the load up with the blue bottom bar tantalisingly close, but stops.  And locks the PC up.  The only way out is Task Manager or turn the PC off.

So I Uninstall OpenXR Tools for Windows Mixed Reality, reboot and MSFS loads normally.

There's weird...and there's CRAZY WEIRD!

 

It's clearly one for the MS Support Team - I've floated this issue out on the forums a few times and google searched it endlessly and I seem to be the only person in the world who can't get the App to load up and run.  At least that makes me special 🙂