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Does anyone have the word on Linux support?

teach 11y ago
Since Valve's SteamOS is Linux-based, then SURELY the Vive will work on Linux machines out of the box. The lack of a Linux version of their VR Compatibility tool has made me a little nervous, though.
- dogma1138 11y ago
  SteamOS currently doesn't support SteamVR there were (unconfirmed AFAIK) plans for "day-one support" but last time I've checked (maybe a month ago) there isn't support for SteamVR-Vive (driver and software) yet in the beta version of SteamOS. There were also some comments from HTC last year that most of the SteamOS based Steam Machines could not support SteamVR in their current state so they will be focusing on the "core gamer" demographics initially. However it needs to be mentioned that even if Vive will support SteamOS it doesn't mean that it will have Linux support, all the binary parts of SteamOS including Steam, it's various components, drivers etc. are closed source.
haydenlee 11y ago
SteamVR doesn't support Linux yet AFAIK. Here are the min requirements: http://store.steampowered.com/app/323910/ http://store.steampowered.com/app/323910/
- dogma1138 11y ago
  The SteamVR API works on the OSX and Linux versions of Steam (it's some what missing from SteamOS oddly enough). It's not enabled by default and seem to be buggy as hell but no Vive software support has been implemented, you can use (older versions before the support was dropped) Oculus with SteamVR on Linux but it won't be pretty.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
mikepavone 11y ago
They've claimed day one Linux support[0], but I think waiting to see if they actually deliver on that is probably prudent. [0] https://www.gamingonlinux.com/articles/htc-vive-plans-linuxsteamos-support-for-day-1.5794 https://www.gamingonlinux.com/articles/htc-vive-plans-linuxs...
- dogma1138 11y ago
  Vive doesn't come with it's own middleware so it will require Steam and SteamVR to function so while it might eventually "work" on Linux it wouldn't be the open Linux support people might expect at least not initially. Valve has another project called OpenVR (which still somewhat requires the closed source SteamVR to work) and it's reportedly (again unconfirmed) working with Razer on OSVR. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Source_Virtual_Reality https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Source_Virtual_Reality There are some hacked together OSVR drivers for Oculus but they are barely functional atm, the biggest problem with OpenVR, Unity VR and various other VR projects is that they only offer part of the middleware which will serve as an abstraction layer for the proprietary device drivers, OSVR seems to at least try and solve it by developing vendor agnostic drivers and open vendor specific ones. Oculus went the other way saying that open source API's are a bad idea atm as the technology is too immature for generic abstractions and that vendor specific low level access is required to utilize current headsets efficiently which might be very well true. Valve's OpenVR will eventually work great with Vive through SteamVR as they can still maintain low level vendor specific access and while Oculus, GearVR and various other VR/AR headsets might also work the results might necessarily be that stellar. So ATM there is a mishmash of VR API's Unity is doing their own thing by providing integrated VR API with their engine, Unreal supports Oculus and is also working on it's own generic API, Oculus has it's own VR middleware (which is also the one for Samsung's GearVR) and lastly there is Valve with OpenVR/SteamVR. Eventually the winner will not be the best implementation but who's going to have the better 3rd party support, Oculus being the older guy in the block currently has it but Valve has a monopoly on the digital distribution and isn't shy of using and even abusing their power. The VR wars of 2016-2018 will be the new Betamax vs. VHS / HD-DVD vs. BluRay. And as far as future predictions go I wonder how Apple will play into this, given their track record of emerging technology adoption (or in Appleish "invention") I expect a "VR/AR" addon around 2018 and Apple isn't exactly known for embracing multi-vendor open ecosystems. Since mobile/integrated computing is the future of VR as it will allow you to dump all the cables and other nonsense by the time the market will look like it's about to settle Apple might actually disrupt it again which is something they've haven't really done in about a decade.
shazow 11y ago
I've been following this closely. While there has not been any official word recently, here's what I've observed: Every update of OpenVR/SteamVR does include updated builds/fixes for Linux and Mac[0], but parts of the drivers are out-right missing right now so it's not possible to run an HMD (at least an Oculus one) end to end on these systems right now. I'm speculating that they had good support for a while, then they ran into some cross-platform bugs so they cut support temporarily to rush towards a full release, then fix it later. I'm hoping full Linux and Mac support will become viable after things cool off with the Vive launch. Another thing worth noting is that almost every game shipping on launch is using Unity or Unreal Engine 4, both of which have full cross-platform support. Only thing stopping studios right now is good VR SDK support. I really do wish there was more official word about this. I've emailed gaben but no response yet. [0] https://github.com/ValveSoftware/openvr https://github.com/ValveSoftware/openvr

teach 11y ago

Since Valve's SteamOS is Linux-based, then SURELY the Vive will work on Linux machines out of the box. The lack of a Linux version of their VR Compatibility tool has made me a little nervous, though.

dogma1138 11y ago
SteamOS currently doesn't support SteamVR there were (unconfirmed AFAIK) plans for "day-one support" but last time I've checked (maybe a month ago) there isn't support for SteamVR-Vive (driver and software) yet in the beta version of SteamOS. There were also some comments from HTC last year that most of the SteamOS based Steam Machines could not support SteamVR in their current state so they will be focusing on the "core gamer" demographics initially. However it needs to be mentioned that even if Vive will support SteamOS it doesn't mean that it will have Linux support, all the binary parts of SteamOS including Steam, it's various components, drivers etc. are closed source.

haydenlee 11y ago

SteamVR doesn't support Linux yet AFAIK. Here are the min requirements: http://store.steampowered.com/app/323910/ http://store.steampowered.com/app/323910/

dogma1138 11y ago
The SteamVR API works on the OSX and Linux versions of Steam (it's some what missing from SteamOS oddly enough). It's not enabled by default and seem to be buggy as hell but no Vive software support has been implemented, you can use (older versions before the support was dropped) Oculus with SteamVR on Linux but it won't be pretty.

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

mikepavone 11y ago

They've claimed day one Linux support[0], but I think waiting to see if they actually deliver on that is probably prudent. [0] https://www.gamingonlinux.com/articles/htc-vive-plans-linuxsteamos-support-for-day-1.5794 https://www.gamingonlinux.com/articles/htc-vive-plans-linuxs...

dogma1138 11y ago
Vive doesn't come with it's own middleware so it will require Steam and SteamVR to function so while it might eventually "work" on Linux it wouldn't be the open Linux support people might expect at least not initially. Valve has another project called OpenVR (which still somewhat requires the closed source SteamVR to work) and it's reportedly (again unconfirmed) working with Razer on OSVR. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Source_Virtual_Reality https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Source_Virtual_Reality There are some hacked together OSVR drivers for Oculus but they are barely functional atm, the biggest problem with OpenVR, Unity VR and various other VR projects is that they only offer part of the middleware which will serve as an abstraction layer for the proprietary device drivers, OSVR seems to at least try and solve it by developing vendor agnostic drivers and open vendor specific ones. Oculus went the other way saying that open source API's are a bad idea atm as the technology is too immature for generic abstractions and that vendor specific low level access is required to utilize current headsets efficiently which might be very well true. Valve's OpenVR will eventually work great with Vive through SteamVR as they can still maintain low level vendor specific access and while Oculus, GearVR and various other VR/AR headsets might also work the results might necessarily be that stellar. So ATM there is a mishmash of VR API's Unity is doing their own thing by providing integrated VR API with their engine, Unreal supports Oculus and is also working on it's own generic API, Oculus has it's own VR middleware (which is also the one for Samsung's GearVR) and lastly there is Valve with OpenVR/SteamVR. Eventually the winner will not be the best implementation but who's going to have the better 3rd party support, Oculus being the older guy in the block currently has it but Valve has a monopoly on the digital distribution and isn't shy of using and even abusing their power. The VR wars of 2016-2018 will be the new Betamax vs. VHS / HD-DVD vs. BluRay. And as far as future predictions go I wonder how Apple will play into this, given their track record of emerging technology adoption (or in Appleish "invention") I expect a "VR/AR" addon around 2018 and Apple isn't exactly known for embracing multi-vendor open ecosystems. Since mobile/integrated computing is the future of VR as it will allow you to dump all the cables and other nonsense by the time the market will look like it's about to settle Apple might actually disrupt it again which is something they've haven't really done in about a decade.

shazow 11y ago

I've been following this closely. While there has not been any official word recently, here's what I've observed: Every update of OpenVR/SteamVR does include updated builds/fixes for Linux and Mac[0], but parts of the drivers are out-right missing right now so it's not possible to run an HMD (at least an Oculus one) end to end on these systems right now. I'm speculating that they had good support for a while, then they ran into some cross-platform bugs so they cut support temporarily to rush towards a full release, then fix it later. I'm hoping full Linux and Mac support will become viable after things cool off with the Vive launch. Another thing worth noting is that almost every game shipping on launch is using Unity or Unreal Engine 4, both of which have full cross-platform support. Only thing stopping studios right now is good VR SDK support. I really do wish there was more official word about this. I've emailed gaben but no response yet. [0] https://github.com/ValveSoftware/openvr https://github.com/ValveSoftware/openvr