SteamVR via Oculus Link is super laggy - even the SteamVR Home menu

VR andysonofbob · Jun 26, 2021

Soz this isn't to do with ED but I wonder if any SteamVR users might have a solution for this.

I haven't played a SteamVR game for ages. Fired up SteamVR to replay Alyx and the first thing I notice is that the infinite SteamVR Home menu thing, which loads up when you boot SteamVR is super laggy.

I tried to load Alyx and that is laggy too. 'Feels' like the exact same amount of lag. Other games through SteamVR are also similarly laggy. Even old VR games which run on potato computers.

If it were just Alyx that was laggy, no worries but the fact the SteamVR Home is just as laggy makes me think something is wrong. It 'feels' like when you try to load multiple windows of something open?

I wonder if I have messed up a setting or few? I have tried to click all buttons that say default. I have also uninstalled and reinstalled SteamVR.

Could Oculus runtime be competing with SteamVR?

Suffice to say all non SteamVR games run without issue including ED

Thanks!

VR andysonofbob · Jun 27, 2021

I'm assuming that this must just be an issue my end then?

Wierd how the simple SteamVR menu, which should run smooth on a potato, is just as laggy as a Steam VR game, which also used to run fine btw!

I have even set the quality to minimum and 72 Hz in Oculus Home. Zero difference.

Any suggestions? Or something to try?

Edit
Last time I used it, it ran fine and that was Jan 18th of this year, Skyrim VR. I think I was tweaking stuff in Steam VR in the 'specific game(?)' setting bit so I might have broken it.
Like I said I have tried pressing all the default buttons and uninstalling it

Arioch · Jun 27, 2021

Can’t help I’m afraid - everything is fine for me with SteamVR & Link/AirLink.

I can only suggest opening up the Developer tab in the SteamVR options and make sure you haven’t got SuperSampling set to ludicrous levels, or something like that.

It’s not a USB issue, is it?

Dragsham · Jun 27, 2021

Sounds to me like either supersampling is 2.0 rather than setting to 1.0
And hmd could to too high (assumption potatoe pc struggling to render etc)
Also set to 2.0
Again lower it to 1.0
Put vr ingame settings on low.
Restart the game and then start to add settings to increase rendering speed.
o7

Dragsham · Jun 27, 2021

Remember to restart the game after each change to get a true account of how it'll play

VR andysonofbob · Jun 27, 2021

Thanks

I opened the Oculus Debug tool and turned on the Performance overlay and wow!

The Application Frame Rate (AFR) graphs is all over the place - constantly wobbling between 40Hz to 50Hz. This is usually rock steady at 90Hz, or a steady 45Hz when ASW kicks in.

The Performance Headroom graph however is pretty much maxed in the green, which is as expected when in the simple minimal effort SteamVR menu. A green Performance Headroom above 0% normally means no ASW, so 90Hz as shown in AFR. I have noticed if the Performance Headroom goes below 0% ASW kicks in so AFR drops to half (45Hz) and stays steady until the Headroom is well in the negative numbers. At this point the visuals start to feel laggy - like it is for me now!

Does steam have some form of ASW? If so, I wonder if it is competing with Oculus somehow?

ps I have tried the following:

I have uninstalled USB3 driver - from the SteamVR setting. Reinstalled USB3 and tested in Oculus Home 2.7Gb/s which is plenty.
I then lowered everything to the lowest setting. In both SteamVR and Oculus. Lowest slider settings and 72Hz. Looks awful. And still equally laggy. BTW, no difference when set to max quality on both apps. Steam Advanced super sampling now off too.
Current Runtime is set to Oculus. Switching to Steam makes little difference
It's currently set to lowest slider and 72Hz (Steam confirms this)

EDIT
I have also tried all the settings within the ASW settings in the Oculus Debug tool - turning off, forcing on etc makes no difference. Normally this would affect the what happens in VR...

Ryzen 3600X 1070 16GB

Arioch · Jun 27, 2021

VR andysonofbob said:
Does steam have some form of ASW?

Yes it does, but it shouldn’t be affecting the Quest.

If you look in the SteamVR Developer menu (you can get to it via the little SteamVR box on your desktop) then you’ll be able to see what settings are active there - Motion Smoothing & Render Resolution etc.

VR andysonofbob · Jun 27, 2021

Arioch said:
Yes it does, but it shouldn’t be affecting the Quest.

If you look in the SteamVR Developer menu (you can get to it via the little SteamVR box on your desktop) then you’ll be able to see what settings are active there - Motion Smoothing & Render Resolution etc.

Thanks!

Soz for being a numpty - I can't see any setting for Steam's motion smoothing

I have clicked on the options icon in the little desktop box

In the menu that pops up I hover over developer to open that one I get six options
Developer Settings
Web Console
Advanced Frame Timings - seems nice and steady about 50% idle, some constant noise reprojected about 1 or 2
Overlay View
Systems Report Viewer
Debug Commands

The Dev Settings has:
Enable GPU profiling I have ticked and then left unticked
Direct mode or disable it - tried both didn't notice any difference

Arioch · Jun 27, 2021

VR andysonofbob said:
Thanks!

Soz for being a numpty - I can't see any setting for Steam's motion smoothing

I have clicked on the options icon in the little desktop box

In the menu that pops up I hover over developer to open that one I get six options
Developer Settings
Web Console
Advanced Frame Timings - seems nice and steady about 50% idle, some constant noise reprojected about 1 or 2
Overlay View
Systems Report Viewer
Debug Commands

The Dev Settings has:
Enable GPU profiling I have ticked and then left unticked
Direct mode or disable it - tried both didn't notice any difference

Not you being a numpty - it looks like SteamVR has changed a bit since the last time I altered settings

Look under Settings for the SuperSampling:

Looks like motion smoothing isn’t showing any more as a setting - it shouldn’t have been affecting your HMD anyway.

Dragsham · Jun 27, 2021

Flick to advanced settings at bottom of pic

VR andysonofbob · Jun 27, 2021

Thanks!

That's what I see. I have set everything to the lowest.

Highest or lowest settings makes no difference to the lag (see my post). Advance settings doesnt show any option for motion smoothing?.

The fact it works for everyone, suggests it's something my end. Especially considering I am getting exactly the same amount of lag in the SteamVR menu thing!

Arioch · Jun 28, 2021

I had a good trawl through the SteamVR settings and I can’t think of anything obvious that would be creating the lag - you’ve said you tried changing the runtime to no visible difference:

…which was about the only thing I could think of. If non-Steam VR games are playing fine then it shouldn’t be anything USB or Link cable related. The SkyrimVR setting you changed was probably just the SuperSampling increase - you can do that on a per-game basis so it shouldn’t be messing up the Home screen.

I’m at a loss as to what to suggest - graphics drivers and SteamVR beta, maybe?

VR andysonofbob · Jun 28, 2021

Arioch said:
I had a good trawl through the SteamVR settings and I can’t think of anything obvious that would be creating the lag - you’ve said you tried changing the runtime to no visible difference:
View attachment 244884
…which was about the only thing I could think of. If non-Steam VR games are playing fine then it shouldn’t be anything USB or Link cable related. The SkyrimVR setting you changed was probably just the SuperSampling increase - you can do that on a per-game basis so it shouldn’t be messing up the Home screen.

I’m at a loss as to what to suggest - graphics drivers and SteamVR beta, maybe?

Pretty much exactly as I have it.
My mate, who has a similar system to me compared settings and couldn't spot anything either.
My fault - I have been saying mean things to SteamVR lately. If I were SteamVR I would be playing up too.

Thanks for your help though!

VR andysonofbob · Jul 1, 2021

YES!!!!!!!!!!

Fixed it. It must have been a setting in some config file somewhere.

Here is what I found

Manually clear SteamVR settings:
In certain scenarios, like changes the SteamVR settings or has used 3rd Party VR software, Steam/SteamVR will start to behave unexpectedly. Despite it is recommended to reinstall both Steam/SteamVR on these scenarios, it is possible to clear the current settings and enforce a clean setup of all the system again. This process will clear the SteamVR settings and the lighthouse settings stored on the system.
1. Completely close Steam and SteamVR.
2. Navigate to each path and delete the following files:
a. C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SteamVR\resources\settings\default.vrsettings
b. C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\config\steamvr.vrsettings
c. C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\config\lighthouse\lighthousedb.json

Then Uninstall steam VR! You can do so with the following instructions:
1. Right click the SteamVR tool from the Steam Library and select Unistall
2. Follow the on screen prompts to complete the uninstallation of the SteamVR tool.

(important) Make sure to delete any leftover files in the installation directory by deleting the contents in the folder “SteamVR”
The default path for that folder would be:
"%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Steam\steamapps\common\SteamVR"