Accurate info on setting up Rift and Frontier launcher? (as of Mar. 2019)

[EDbubba]

The vast majority of info posted here is all obsolete; referring to in-game menu options that no longer exist, and methodologies that don't work!

If you have the Frontier launcher installed (NOT the Steam version of the game), along with Steam VR and obviously Oculus, what is the process to get the HMD to display anything?!

Things tried so far:

- Allow Oculus to use "Unknown Sources" (added ED to the Library, but displays a placeholder "mountain" start-up screen on the HMD and nothing else, game launches on primary monitor, as per normal...)

- Launching the game while viewing the Steam VR Home simply shifts to the Oculus "infinity" background and the same "launching" placeholder, as above.


I'm assuming that there's a somewhat simple solution to this that does not involved 3rd-party "tweaks" to change embedded preferences...

 

[Wasp0]

The vast majority of info posted here is all obsolete; referring to in-game menu options that no longer exist, and methodologies that don't work!

If you have the Frontier launcher installed (NOT the Steam version of the game), along with Steam VR and obviously Oculus, what is the process to get the HMD to display anything?!

Things tried so far:

- Allow Oculus to use "Unknown Sources" (added ED to the Library, but displays a placeholder "mountain" start-up screen on the HMD and nothing else, game launches on primary monitor, as per normal...)

- Launching the game while viewing the Steam VR Home simply shifts to the Oculus "infinity" background and the same "launching" placeholder, as above.


I'm assuming that there's a somewhat simple solution to this that does not involved 3rd-party "tweaks" to change embedded preferences...

Have you chosen HMD option in your in game settings? Go into options /graphics and it is one of the options in there. If this is not chosen then you won't get anything in your Rift/Vive/VR headset

Added image:

 

[VR andysonofbob]

As Wasp0 said

Also, don't go through SteamVR. You don't need to being Oculus.

Just make sure Oculus Home is active (you have already set it up correctly). Run the game.

 

[EDbubba]

My 3D menu simply did not have any of those options, even when Oculus was running. It mentions that the 3D menu has nothing to do with HMD. FYI, prior to trying the Steam VR version (see next para), Oculus was working fine in all cases, I can go to the Library, play the demos, navigate around, etc.

I gave up and got the Steam keys, and when launched through Steam VR it worked fine... (not through the Steam VR "home", simply hitting play on the VR subset at the bottom of the normal Steam Library list) The Steam VR app does not even launch, but Oculus and the double-DRM'd Frontier launcher do. (although the Frontier launcher remembers your credentials and needs no interaction)

The Steam VR "play" interface has three options: ED, ED Horizons and ED Steam VR Mode. The VR option does not exist in the regular Frontier Launcher (obviously). Clearly, there has to be a way that the vanilla Frontier launcher knows which mode to boot into, from what I can tell, it can't detect that you have Oculus installed, and just launches into 2D.

As far as I can tell, whether or not you have Oculus running makes no difference for the vanilla launcher, but Steam VR will automatically launch what it needs, no need to launch -anything- else.

Also, FYI, this is all on Win 7, don't know if that is of any relevance...

 

[TorTorden_VR]

Win 7 is no longer supported for any VR system.
It's a matter of coincidence if it works at all on that os.

It is the 3d option in game that activates VR.
If you have a VR service running either steam or Oculus you should have the option available for HMD speakers Or had headphones.
The difference being audio format you use.

 

[EDbubba]

Win 7 is no longer supported for any VR system.
It's a matter of coincidence if it works at all on that os.

Well, that's basically wrong... Here's the quote from Oculus on the Windows 10 "requirement":

"You can still use Windows 7 and Windows 8 with most of Rift Core 2.0’s core functionality, but things like Oculus Desktop require Windows 10, as does the ability to run Dash as an overlay."

Useless "features" that have zero to do with most gameplay...


I'll chalk it up to bad/ignorant coding since it works fine in Steam VR.

 

[VR andysonofbob]

Could you take some screenies of your menu page, Oculus settings etc please?
Perhaps disable steam VR? You shouldn't need it... ever for rift, unless you explicitly want steam VR apps.

 

[Vithigar]

You can start the launcher with a /vr command line option to launch it immediately in headset mode, regardless of what options are currently selected.

 

[The Lawful]

I gave up and got the Steam keys, and when launched through Steam VR it worked fine... (not through the Steam VR "home", simply hitting play on the VR subset at the bottom of the normal Steam Library list) The Steam VR app does not even launch, but Oculus and the double-DRM'd Frontier launcher do. (although the Frontier launcher remembers your credentials and needs no interaction)

Why bother with Steam at all if you got a Rift? It's been a while, but IIRC you can still redeem an Oculus key for free from the FD store and then enjoy comfortable integration into Oculus Home! The only reason why I still have a separate Steam version installed at all are the betas...if there will ever come another one before 3306

O7,

 

[Vithigar]

The only reason why I still have a separate Steam version installed at all are the betas...if there will ever come another one before 3306

You can actually run the betas from the Oculus version as well, you just have to start the launcher manually from the install folder.