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VirtualDesktopXR (VDXR) is an open source implementation of the OpenXR standard for Virtual Desktop on Windows. It allows you to run OpenXR applications without SteamVR.
DISCLAIMER: This software is distributed as-is, without any warranties or conditions of any kind. Use at your own risks.
OpenXR is the new standard for developing VR applications. It is the successor of OpenVR (the standard set by SteamVR) and OVR (the vendor-specific interface defined by Meta/Oculus).
OpenXR is not software, it is not something you "install" on your PC. It is not something you "choose to use" with your applications or games. The developer of your application or game chooses whether they will use OpenXR as a standard when developing their application. You, the end user then chooses which implementation of OpenXR you will use on your PC.
How to choose which implementation of OpenXR (or "OpenXR runtime") should I use?
It depends on a lot of things... Here are some pointers below.
- This is the OpenXR implementation from Meta.
- It can only be used with Quest Link Cable/AirLink, it cannot be used with Virtual Desktop.
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It is lightweight but rich in features (hand, face, eye and body tracking)
- Certain features are blocked behind Developer mode, which can be inconvenient for users.
- This is the OpenXR implementation from Valve, which universally works with any headset compatible with SteamVR.
- It can be used both with Quest Link Cable/AirLink and Virtual Desktop.
- It is backed by a large ecosystem of applications and utilities, such as fpsVR or OVR Toolkit, many of which are not available outside of SteamVR.
- It has a user-friendly home environment, settings interface and in-game dashboard.
- It is heavyweight (due to all the features above), occupies a large amount of memory and incurs an additional performance overhead.
- It does not support features such as eye tracking or face tracking.
- This is the (new) OpenXR implementation tailored specifically for Virtual Desktop.
- It can only be used with Virtual Desktop (at this time).
- It is designed for gaming efficiency and aims at providing maximum performance.
- It is lightweight but rich in features (face and eye tracking)
- None of the features are hidden from you if you are not a developer.
- It is open-source, which means the community can contribute to its development or learn from its implementation.
In a nutshell.
| I want... | I should use... |
|---|---|
| Maximum performance in OpenXR games with Virtual Desktop | VirtualDesktopXR |
| Face and eye tracking in supported applications with Virtual Desktop | VirtualDesktopXR |
| My user-friendly home environment and dashboard | SteamVR OpenXR |
| My utilities such as fpsVR or OVR Toolkit | SteamVR OpenXR |
| To use Quest Link Cable/AirLink | Oculus OpenXR or SteamVR OpenXR |
VirtualDesktopXR works with all headsets supported by the Wireless version of Virtual Desktop.
| Headset | Supported? |
|---|---|
| Meta Quest | Yes* |
| Meta Quest 2 | Yes |
| Meta Quest Pro | Yes |
| Meta Quest 3 | Yes |
| Pico Neo 3 | Yes |
| Pico 4 | Yes |
| HTC Vive Focus 3 | Yes* |
| HTC Vive XR Elite | Yes* |
(*) Not tested by the developer.
See the Application Compatibility page.
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE
There are two versions of VirtualDesktopXR, with very important differences to understand:
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The version bundled with Virtual Desktop. This version is installed as part of Virtual Desktop since version 1.29.3. It is the preferred way to get and use VirtualDesktopXR. This version is fully integrated with Virtual Desktop and can be activated through the Virtual Desktop settings. This version works exclusively with Virtual Desktop and all the devices that it supports (Quest, Pico...).
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The Standalone version. This version may be installed separately from Virtual Desktop. It is not as integrated as the bundled version and is not recommended for beginners. The key feature of the Standalone version is that it can also be used with Oculus Link (without Virtual Desktop) as a replacement of the Oculus OpenXR runtime.
Note: the Standalone version is currently not available and should be released by the end of November 2023.
VirtualDesktopXR is currently available through the Virtual Desktop BETA.
To install the beta version, navigate to the store page of Virtual Desktop on the Meta website or phone app. Scroll down to the version number, click it and select the BETA channel. You will also need to manually install the Beta Streamer.
You can install this Beta by installing the APK from the GitHub page. You will also need to manually install the Beta Streamer.
If all went well, you can check if an application is using VirtualDesktopXR by bringing up the Virtual Desktop performance overlay and look for the 'Runtime'. If the value reads 'VDXR', then it means the application is using VirtualDesktopXR.
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Make sure VirtualDesktopXR is selected as the OpenXR runtime in the Virtual Desktop settings.
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Make sure your application uses OpenXR! Supporting OpenXR is a decision made by the developers of each application. It is not something you can force an application to do if that application was not developed for OpenXR. There is no universal way to tell whether an application can use OpenXR, see the Application Compatibility page for more information.
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If none of the above helped, you can file an issue or join our Discord to ask for support.
IF YOU DON'T INCLUDE YOUR LOG FILE AND A CLEAR EXPLANATION OF YOUR ISSUE, YOUR MESSAGE WILL BE IGNORED.
Log file can be found under the %ProgramData%\Virtual Desktop folder and is named OpenXR.log. You can copy this string into your File Explorer to be taken directly to the correct folder!
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Thank you!