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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/ar

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.

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.