I have read on the internet (a classic sentence) that there is no need to have SteamVR installed if I set OpenXR in the Oculus application in Windows as the default runtime (I'm connecting trough AirLink): I have also renamed the SteamVR application folder in Windows in order for windows to not being able to detect SteamVR installed (simulating I really don't have it), but when I start games like Pavlov or Half-Life Alyx, I cannot see them with my Quest 2; they only appear on my pc's screen...
This happens if I add the games in the Windows Oculus application, or if I start them directly from their .exe
The second question would be... If I rename the SteamVR back to its original name, I can play them, but how can I tell for sure that they are really running with openxr ? I'm a little bit confused.
I want to be running openxr because, as I have been reading on the internet (again), it's the best way to play games because there is no stuttering nor lags if you have a good wifi connection.
You shouldn't blindly believe everything you read on the internet, sadly. OpenXR is an API, application programming interface, which needs an application (like the Oculus runtime or SteamVR) to use it. Some games are fairly agnostic about the application they use with OpenXR but some (like Alyx, for obvious reasons) are firmly attached to SteamVR.
Is SteamVR actually a problem for you, or is it just more you've read on the internet? I've never had any appreciable problem with it.
Hello; Thanks for answering... And answering your question, NO, SteamVR is not a problem for me. It's just that I want to make sure that I am using the OpenXR API to run the games, as as I wrote before it's the best way to go for the mentioned reasons.
I don't blindly believe what I read on the Internet heheheh, that's why I am remarking that "I've read that...", meaning that it could be true... or not !
In fact, the best way to run games with a Quest 2 for PCVR, as it seems, would be:
- Conect trough Oculus Airlink with a 5ghz very good connection (I have it)
- Setting the OpenXR api as the default in the Windows Oculus application
- Run the game !
In fact until now I was using the Oculus Virtual Desktop (not the steam one) to connect, but it seems that you can configure it to use also OpenXR if you change, in the Windows Virtual Desktop Streamer application settings, the OpenXR Runtime to "VDXR", and then it would work the same way as connecting trough AirLink... Anyways, It still needs the application SteamVR to work
So, the remaining question would be, once the game is running, how can I tell that I am actually using OpenXR ? My fear is that if SteamVR is launching, it could be changing the default API set at the Oculus application...
Is there a technical way to look at the API being used for a game ? Thank you.
Remember that only games writen for the OpenXR API will use OpenXR. It seems to be becoming a standard but there are still lots around (mostly older) using other APIs.
Once the game is running with Oculus Link (either with cable or wirelessly), how can I tell that I am actually using OpenXR ? Is there a way to show it using an overlay or something like that ?
