VR Guide for VPX amateur in 2024 please someone?

[colintxmedia]

It seems impossible to find anything new and up to date online about the best way to set up VR from a VPX cabinet.

 

If there is one, can a link be made obvious, I just cant find anything current.

 

The only videos I have found are recommending software from 2021, and talking about VR ROOM.

 

I set up VR ROOM and found that it to look great as a front end, but it wont launch any of my tables for some reason. Some buttons work, some dont.

 

I can launch all my VR tables manually from the VR capable VPX version I found and installed that appears to be the one to use.

 

I then set up a VPX Launcher that "seems" to be the latest and "right" one (Pin Up Popper seems to have given up on helping with VR, only leaving a post saying this popper set up is no longer needed, might work, but will provide a video in the future, whenever that is) and I cant find a video or tutorial from this year (2024) about it.

 

I've managed to get Pinball FX working in VR with some help from videos online, and VPX ish.

Is there anyone willing to help all those new to either VPX or VR? Hoping so.

[studly_do_right]

Lots of people willing to help at our VR Pinball Discord here https://discord.gg/G2E8QAtz86  I also sent you an invite at Github a week ago, but if the Discord is not your thing, this is one of the tutorials posted there.

Updated Sept 9, 2024
It is important to get the tables running on your PC first before adding VR. Baller Installer "Bonanza" is the easiest way to install everything you need. Install that and play some tables "before" adding the VR stuff, if the tables won't play you need to fix what's wrong before adding and attempting VR   see below,
 
Getting started with Virtual Pinball using Baller Installer so you can add VR Pinball afterward. 
 
Baller Installer, install it and make sure you can run tables in pancake mode (2D) on your PC. Tip...Follow along with the video
https://www.nailbuster.com/wikipinup/doku.php?id=ballerinsallv2311&s[]=baller&s[]=bonanza
 
Now that you can play Virtual Pinball tables on your PC it's time to add VR....
 
VR Pinball  (Meta Headsets)
 
You can find the latest VR-GL 64bit (VR Pinball Software) release candidates here
https://github.com/vpinball/vpinball/releases
 
You have to be signed in and then click on the newest RC and scroll down to the "VPinballX_GL" 64 bit and install the contents into your Visual Pinball Folder. 
 
 You can use the openvr_api64.dll that comes with the VR-GL build and be good to go if you want to use/go through and have Steam installed, but it may run better without Steam and using Open Composite (or Virtual Desktop, info at the bottom).
 To use Open Composite (with Meta Headsets) instead of going through Steam you need to change the openvr_api64.dll that comes with the GL build you downloaded with the one found on Gitlab.
 Scroll down to "Per Game Installation" and download the 64bit dll here https://gitlab.com/znixian/OpenOVR  Note, you need to rename the dll to openvr_api64.dll  Update, some have reported the dll not working so try this one https://drive.google.com/file/d/1z91ugSxaN35W5qmTr0zrUUnO3keklvvv/view?usp=sharing
Now you need your headset connected to your Meta PC App, I only use Meta so here is how with them
You need the Meta PC Software installed, scroll down to "Link Cable" and download the software.
https://www.meta.com/ca/quest/setup/
Then you need to connect your headset to your PC either wired with a "link" cable by enabling Link Connect in the headset or wirelessly if you have a good connection by enabling "Air Link" in the headset and set then Meta Headset up (you may need to use the mobile app to set it up also).
Once connected you are now ready to play, here is how to every time you play....look into your headset and connect to your PC by selecting "Link Connect" (or Air Link if wireless) and then go back to the PC, double click your VPinballX_GL.exe and choose a VR Table, put your headset back on and the table should load for you. Press "0", "5", "2" and "8" on your numberpad on your keyboard to center, raise and lower the table
 
That's it but you can also connect by using Virtual Desktop (the app from within the headset not the PC version). Everything is pretty much the same but you don't need to connect to your PC but you do need to also install the Virtual Desktop Streamer App onto your PC and connect to it. You will still need to change the openvr_api64.dll that comes with the VR-GL build for the one from Gitlab like with open composite and you will want to choose VDXR as the runtime in the Virtual Desktop Streamer App. Then you would start Virtual Desktop and choose the shortcut to the VPinballX_GL64.exe from your desktop and choose a table

Edited October 11, 2024 by studlygoorite

[Spacegoogie]

I think I'm getting ready to go VR or AR. The full machine with 4 monitors is becoming a bit too much.

I just decided to do a search on how to get this running and found this question and answer.

Looking to do the quest 3s for sure, maybe the 3. It would only be used for Popper and VPX.

It would be really cool if someone uploaded some more videos of VR and AR tables in paly.

 

Thank you @studlygoorite for the explanation, and thank you @colintxmedia for the question!

[flyingeek]

I just entered the Visual Pinball VR Arena, as I was a Mac user, everything was new to me: Windows, Steam, Visual Pinball. As you, I get lost by the old tutorials but in fact if you have a strong pc configuration, it's quite smooth. I mostly did what @studlygoorite wrote.

 

I started my install using Windows 11 pro on a second hand 32gb PC (i7 13700, rtx 4080).

 

Once baller installer beta is done, just go in the PinUpSystem folder and launch the PinUpSetMenu.exe, although I don't use popper yet, there is an auto updater in the top right, run it to have the latest versions.

 

Concerning the VR Headset I use a Quest 3 with a cable link. For the configuration I went to the PC Meta Link app and set the video rendering max out to the right (x1.5) with a refresh rate of 90Hz. On Steam VR, on the contrary, I forced resolution to be 100%.

 

Now for VPX, for the moment I have only used the 64bit version but there is annoying bug with the GL version (you must set resolution to screen resolution minus 1 pixel to have the vpinmame F1 menu appearing at the front), so I prefer to use the DirectX version for running in 2D.

 

For the vpx graphics settings, I use the high end defaults with the following changes: Quality uses SMAA instead of FXAA, and I turn off dynamic A0 for recent tables. I also generally turn off the ball lighting in tables from the 1990 and up.

 

Nvidia settings were mostly unchanged (just set the ultra mode).

 

For 3D, you have to use the GL version but I usually start my 3D session using VPX Launcher, this shows a nice menu in the headset. Since my PC specs are quite high, I use SteamVR and this is not a problem, it even adds some nice features: You can launch the Steam Overlay by pressing a key on the gamepad and so you can view the desktop using the gamepad only. I also found fpsVR (a steam paid app around 4 EUR) a useful addition which can show you FPS and much more (switch audio for example).

 

For controlling the game I currently use a gamepad. I do hot keys mapping using AntimicroX. The key mapping is used to set a shift key on the gamepad which allows to have much more commands available. I'm quite happy with my settings since I can now control everything with the gamepad only, even when using the headset.

 

My config is not perfect though. I still have problems when trying to use VPX Launcher in 2D mode. But for 3D, it's running fine. I also tried to tune even more with the Oculus Debug Tool but I don't know if it's really useful (Spacewarp disabled, dynamic encoding false, encoding 600mbs).

[Dugmoose66]

Is there any chance in could get an invite to the discord as well?