If your headset is compatible with PC and OpenXR, chances are it should work. For example:
The hardware requirements are high, specially on the GPU side. We recommend 10GB of VRAM, but 8GB VRAM might work depending on maps, vehicles and settings.
Unbox your VR headset and configure it. This typically involves:
If unsure how to use your VR headset with a PC, please search and read its instructions manual, or otherwise contact its manufacturer for support.
Once the headset can be used in your computer:
VR controllers can be used to operate triggers in vehicle, such as door handles, trailer switches, etc (other VR controller interactions, such as menus, grabbing steering wheel, etc are not supported).
If you don’t want to see the VR controllers, you can hide them in Options > Display > VR > Use VR controllers.
Ensure you have installed your headset’s software and drivers (check the instructions included with your headset, or search the manufacturer’s website).
Ensure you have chosen a default OpenXR runtime in your computer (more information here ).
Third party VR / Vulkan software could negatively affect framerate, crash to desktop, lead to visual artifacts, etc. If you have issues, try disabling or uninstalling them. Some examples that have created problems:
Ensure your software is up to date. If you have issues with Link, please follow Meta’s own troubleshooting procedure .
You need to choose which OpenXR runtime to use by default. Some may provide large framerate improvements over others (more information here ).
When connected via Link cable, the right eye might stutter. As a workaround, you can use one of these workarounds for now:
a) (recommended) Try a wireless connection
b) Or set ASW to Off
(*)
c) Or set ASW to Forced
(*)
(*) If you’re not sure what ASW is or how it’s changed, we recommend you don’t modify that setting.
You need to choose which OpenXR runtime to use by default. Some may provide large framerate improvements over others (more information here ).
If you experience crashes or errors and VirtualDesktop is installed, try uninstalling VirtualDesktop, then uninstalling StreamingAssistant, then installing StreamingAssistant and using it.
You need to choose which OpenXR runtime to use by default. Some may provide large framerate improvements over others (more information here ).
If you experience crashes and are using a Pimax-OpenXR version older than September 2023, please update it.
You need to choose which OpenXR runtime to use by default. Some may provide large framerate improvements over others (more information here ).
If you experience either a grey image in both eyes, or a crash to desktop, then please update BeamNG software and Varjo software to their most recent versions.
Center your headset in Options > Display > VR > Center (or press ‘Ctrl-Numpad5’). Then ensure you are in ‘Driver’ camera pressing ‘C’.
If you have installed third party OpenXR layers or VR emulation software, they might be adding problematic camera offsets. We recommend you disable or uninstall the software if in doubt.
See previous section.
Enable numlock in your keyboard.
Ensure the BeamNG.drive window is focused (the OpenXR runtime window might steal its focus when you first enable VR).
This is a known bug.
For the time being, a possible workaround is to select Options > Graphics > Lighting > Lowest.
This is relatively common. The amount of physical discomfort depends on the person and on how VR is being used.
Your resilience might improve over time (often called “getting your VR legs”). This can take anywhere from hours to months of regular VR use, and can range from huge improvements to no improvements at all, depending on the person.
Whatever your case is, to reduce discomfort:
Note: if the framerate is very consistently limited to certain value, this means the VR framerate limit is being hit. This FPS limit is intentional and normal for VR applications.
Short answer: Yes, framerate should be limited to certain value while in VR.
Long answer: Yes, when you use VR in any software, your framerate will be intentionally limited by design. You can think of this as a different kind of “V-Sync” that is necessary for VR to work. This FPS limit is imposed by the OpenXR runtime, and VR software like BeamNG.drive cannot (and should not) disable it.
The VR framerate limit depends on both your VR headset refresh rate, and on your minimum framerate (how low your worst fps is). The average framerate plays no role here.
If you are curious as to what your framerate might be without this VR limit, you can press ctrl-f
twice. The panel on the top-left of the window will display an “unmanaged” value. This is a very rough approximation, not 100% reliable, and tries to guess the framerate without fps limiting mechanisms like VR, V-Sync, FPS limiter, etc.
Or, if you are using the SteamVR runtime, you could also see the theoretical unmanaged frame period by enabling SteamVR > Settings > Advanced Settings > Developer > Show GPU Performance Graph in Headset. Frame period is the inverse of frame rate, e.g. 15ms of frame period means 1000/15ms = 66fps.
(*) When you are in the half-refresh-rate situation, VR reprojection will automatically kick in. Reprojection is what VR systems have used for the past decade to generate new frames when you cannot reach the minimum VR refresh rate. Reprojection generates new frames based on predictions, and will double the perceived framerate. For example, if you are getting 45fps and reprojection is enabled, then an additional 45 frames will be reprojected (generated), and the headset will receive 90fps total. These predicted frames may contain visual artifacts in some situations, since predictions can’t always be perfect. Reprojection is an important safety measure to avoid VR discomfort . If you disable it, you disable the ability to get that extra 2X framerate when it’s needed.
Running out of VRAM can lead to a sudden huge loss of framerate. For example, a sudden drop from 90fps down to 5fps.
You can monitor VRAM use in Windows Task Manager > Performance > GPU (memory indicators).
To increase the available amount of VRAM in your GPU you can try:
In layman’s terms, OpenXR is a language (an ‘API’) used by VR software and VR hardware to communicate with each other.
BeamNG software speaks the OpenXR API when talking to your VR headset. Most VR headsets are compatible with the OpenXR API standard one way or another.
An OpenXR runtime is the software that allows communication between our sim and your VR headset.
Making an analogy, an OpenXR runtime
is to OpenXR
apps, what an image viewer
is to image
files.
There are several OpenXR runtimes:
Note: some VR headsets do not natively speak the OpenXR API. If that’s your case, check if the community of VR developers has created an unofficial third party OpenXR runtime for it.
Here’s an overview of the most common OpenXR runtimes:
( contact us for diagram corrections/feedback)
Continuing the previous analogy: just like you configure a default image viewer in your computer, you should also choose a default OpenXR runtime:
Note: higher VRAM use can have a huge negative impact in framerate (for example, dropping from perfectly playable framerates, down to 0-5fps). Keep that in mind when choosing a runtime.