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Corbb
New Participant
February 28, 2022
Question

Linux Support???

  • February 28, 2022
  • 31 replies
  • 18944 views

I'm really disappointed that I wasted $400 on a Rift S just for it to become a paper-weight since I don't want to use Windows on my computer. I have no clue why a multi-billion dollar company can't afford to support more than one operating system.

I'm by no means expecting perfect support with no performance issues or hiccups on the less popular OS's, but having the headset be COMPLETELY UNUSABLE is not at all excusable. Just let me use the headset, and I'll do the optimizing myself. It's pretty embarrassing that Valve, a company valued at $8 billion, can comfortably support Linux and Windows almost flawlessly on their headsets, but Oculus, which is owned by Meta, a company valued at $572 billion can only support Windows.

I understand the tone may seem harsh, but as someone who spent $400 dollars on the thing, I should have the right to use it on whatever computer I see fit even with less than desirable performance.

    31 replies

    Anonymous
    February 28, 2022

    I couldn't understand this either. I think it has a lot to do with the audience they target on Facebook, Windows/Mac/phones.

     

    A multi boot to an alternate Linux environment option would be very useful here.

     

    Linux has Steam, and it should also have Oculus!

      user901925786032222
      Honored Contributor
      February 28, 2022

      The biggest userbase for PC gaming is Windows and it's not as if Oculus / Meta can even get Windows 11 support working at the moment. How many Linux distributions would they have to support?

        Anonymous
        March 2, 2022

        All of them!

         

        I don’t care what that means…

         

        I highly doubt they couldn’t if they wanted to, and I highly suspect that them ignoring the latter is completely intentional, for whatever completely transparent interior motive they may have with this metaverse agenda.

         

        Oh well, I see it coming either way, in shiny colors, within the next few years.

         

         

          sford52
          Inspiring
          March 2, 2022

          With the advent of Windows 11, Linux support has increased ten fold in importance.  I wont move to 11 under any circumstances. But I do doubt that Oculus will ever expend any effort towards this, so I think we are SOL.

          ASUS ROG Strix GL702VS-AH73 17.3" Laptop.  I7-7700HQ, GTX1070, 12 GB DDR4 RAM, 500 EVO 970 GB SSD, VS 2017, Oculus rift, Windows 10 home
            Rhcev6
            Rhcev6
            Participant
            May 23, 2025

            Who else but Linux and tech savvy ppl do they think they can get to pay >$500 and then some for a quest 3 with ALL the tech goodies???

            Pearingron
            New Participant
            April 15, 2022

            Probably a dumb question, but has anyone tried Wine or Bottles to get it connected? I imagine that it just won't detect the headset, but it might be worth a shot just in case. Still seems weird that it's not a bigger priority given the grants for projects like Godot to work on XR capabilities given how many Linux users that engine has.

              MadScientist42
              Participant
              March 18, 2023

              Wine will let you play things...so long as you have an OpenXR title and proper drivers. There's not really stable Oculus drivers from the community.  They work.  Mostly.   The PSVR hacked onto a PC works better and more reliably right at this moment.  

              DootSnoot
              DootSnoot
              Participant
              May 16, 2022

              have you considered just using windows for games? You're digging yourself a hole in the ground by continuing to use Linux. I get it, windows sucks, but you're much more limited with what you can do on Linux.  Do with this information what you will, but I can't see support for Linux coming any time soon. Alternatively, you can choose to do without PCVR until support arrives, whenever that may be.

                user901925786032222
                Honored Contributor
                May 16, 2022

                Agreed. It's not as though the Rift was sold under the pretence of supporting linux. Spending that much money and just assuming it will support everything you want it to is pretty entitled.

                 

                If i bought a car and assumed it would run on plutonium, I doubt I'd get much sympathy when I complained.

                  DootSnoot
                  DootSnoot
                  Participant
                  May 16, 2022

                  “It's not as though the Rift was sold under the pretence of supporting linux.”

                   

                  exactly, it was not. especially not the rift s.

                    Aziedearest
                    New Participant
                    June 19, 2022

                    I ended up caving and just picking up another headset, however for people still using the Oculus family of headsets on Linux. OpenHMD is about all I can find for any level of support, though depending on your headset the level of support becomes worse. If you have the DEVKit headsets you obviously don't need this comment, seeing as how before Facebook owned this brand the headsets worked on Linux. 

                    Also, the "Just use Windows" comment. I normally would be inclined to agree if the brand name itself when it was a Kickstarter didn't advert that it would support Linux. Facebook legitimately makes more than enough to hire some software engineers specializing in GNU Linux support.

                    Source of claim made: Oculus Rift: Step Into the Game by Oculus — Kickstarter

                      danrivas231295
                      New Participant
                      November 26, 2022

                      Maybe they can't get enough data from you on Linux??? I don't know, but it seems weird that with so many billions investing they can't get multiplatform, I can program multiplatform without any budget from my home pretty easily with all this technology that we have today, weird that Meta can't do it with BILLIONS!!! of dollars spent in development.

                      Linux is pretty common for developers and power users and now that they are promoting productivity with Quest Pro and Horizon and others things, how can they ignore Linux???

                        MadScientist42
                        Participant
                        March 18, 2023

                        Aaand, before any of you clowns open your mouth about it not being lies...

                        One of MANY articles about this:
                        https://www.linux-magazine.com/Issues/2014/164/Oculus-Rift/(offset)/3 

                        They offered it on the Kickstarter as being supported...and then the support was "suspended" when Faceplant BOUGHT them, never to return.

                        Rhcev6
                        Rhcev6
                        Participant
                        May 23, 2025

                        I have a quest 2 and would LIVE to but the best quest 3 BUT I'm not doing that until there is some hope or at least a basic plan than is at least alpha-quality that works on m,y quest 2.

                        Rhcev6
                        Rhcev6
                        Participant
                        May 23, 2025

                        I've been a Linux admin/Architect in IT since 2001.  I KNOW Linux inside and out BUT I do NOT know Meta /VR well at all.  I assume to make a meta work on win in steam you need some SW or plugins?  What are they>  Can they work via USB Link?

                        If someone can help me with the Quest/VR/Steam on win side I might be able to get a quest 2 to work with at least steam on Linux.

                        I do NOT want to even try wifi (as I have Cat7 10Gbe everywhere and still only use a WRT54G old router for a wifi access point I am NOT a fan of wifi - NOT reliable!)

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