One/Best place to go for step-by-step instructions for setting up Reverb G2 for IL-2 GB?

[TG-55Panthercules]

Search function keeps giving me errors tonight for some reason.  In between errors I've seen lots of threads mentioning the G2 and things like WMR, Steam VR, OpenComposite, OpenXR, NeckSafer, etc., but none I've found so far seem to have exactly what I'm looking for.  Is there one thread around here that has the best step-by-step explanation of exactly what steps to take (and what additional apps/utilities to get and how to set them up, etc.) to go from opening up the Reverb G2 box to using it successfully in IL2-GB?

[SCG_Fenris_Wolf]

Will be available soon for Reverb G2. For Pico 4 as well. I got everything ready, except time. Know any time-machine?

[dburne]

18 hours ago, TG-55Panthercules said:

Search function keeps giving me errors tonight for some reason.  In between errors I've seen lots of threads mentioning the G2 and things like WMR, Steam VR, OpenComposite, OpenXR, NeckSafer, etc., but none I've found so far seem to have exactly what I'm looking for.  Is there one thread around here that has the best step-by-step explanation of exactly what steps to take (and what additional apps/utilities to get and how to set them up, etc.) to go from opening up the Reverb G2 box to using it successfully in IL2-GB?

 

Suggest you get it set up initially for WMR/Steam VR and check it out some. You can add the complexity of Open XR with the Developer Tools  later as you get more acclimated to using the Reverb G2.

https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/7C98-DA7A-8C7C-7103

 

But yeah to go from opening the box to using the G2 should not be a big deal at all. Main thing: Install Windows MR, Install Windows MR for Steam VR ( From the Steam Store ) and then finally Steam VR if you do not yet have it.

You will use the WMR for Steam VR application to launch VR then launch IL-2.

 

At some point you will get curious and want to check out Open XR along with the Open XR Toolkit. You can read up all about it here:
https://mbucchia.github.io/OpenXR-Toolkit/

 

Be aware you can get really deep into the weeds with that software. I can also use it with my Aero as well but do not as I like keeping things pretty simple on my end with Steam VR.

Edited November 23, 2022 by dburne

[firdimigdi]

On 11/23/2022 at 5:35 AM, TG-55Panthercules said:

Search function keeps giving me errors tonight for some reason.  In between errors I've seen lots of threads mentioning the G2 and things like WMR, Steam VR, OpenComposite, OpenXR, NeckSafer, etc., but none I've found so far seem to have exactly what I'm looking for.  Is there one thread around here that has the best step-by-step explanation of exactly what steps to take (and what additional apps/utilities to get and how to set them up, etc.) to go from opening up the Reverb G2 box to using it successfully in IL2-GB?

 

This is pretty much valid and good to get you started:

 

[TG-55Panthercules]

Thanks for that info - definitely want to check it out once I get the initial setup process finished.  Managed to get my G2 connected and set up and Steam VR installed last night, and fired up Star Trek Bridge Command (the only VR game I actually had installed via Steam from my Rift days), but ran into some weirdness with it thinking I was outside of boundaries when I turned my head too far in either direction (even though I had set it up for seated used so I wouldn't have to worry about boundaries, or so I thought).  Not sure what that was about but haven't had time to check it out.  Also, I was going to try to see if I could get IL-2 GB to work, but I don't have it installed via Steam so I'm not sure how to launch it in VR.  IIRC from my Rift days, I thought there was some VR-enabling setting in the IL-2 GB startup.cfg file, but I just looked through there and didn't see any such setting (I did see a couple of VR-related settings, but not one that said you were going to be using VR).

 

Any hints?

[chiliwili69]

15 minutes ago, TG-55Panthercules said:

Also, I was going to try to see if I could get IL-2 GB to work, but I don't have it installed via Steam so I'm not sure how to launch it in VR

 

You don´t need to have IL-2 installed from Steam. You current IL-2 installation will work.

 

The only component that you have to install is a free app called "WMR for SteamVR".  It is in Steam. It is the only one I used when I had the G2.

 

Once this work for you in IL-2 you can also try other way via OpenXR which give you better performance.

Edited November 24, 2022 by chiliwili69

[dburne]

42 minutes ago, chiliwili69 said:

 

You don´t need to have IL-2 installed from Steam. You current IL-2 installation will work.

 

The only component that you have to install is a free app called "WMR for SteamVR".  It is in Steam. It is the only one I used when I had the G2.

 

Once this work for you in IL-2 you can also try other way via OpenXR which give you better performance.

 

He will still need Steam in order to install Steam VR - after that no need to run Steam any longer , as I described in my response above... but yes Steam VR is necessary.  You only had the G2 a few days no?

Edited November 24, 2022 by dburne

[TG-55Panthercules]

Yeah - I just opened the box for the G2 last night.  So WMR, Steam and Steam VR are all installed and working.  Now, let's say I turn on my PC, power up my G2 headset (neither Steam nor Steam VR are running at this point - I'm not sure about whether WMR starts up automatically or not at this point) and I'm ready to start IL-2 GB.  What steps do I take to start IL-2?  Do I put the G2 on my head first and try to start IL-2 from in there somehow, or do I start IL-2 with mouse first and then put my G2 on?  How does IL-2 know I'm using my G2?  (With my Rift, there was some sort of setting in startup.cfg that said you were using VR so when IL-2 started it automatically seemed to start Steam VR, IIRC - but as I noted above I do not see any such setting in my startup.cfg.  Do I need to add one in there somewhere?)

[dburne]

2 hours ago, TG-55Panthercules said:

Yeah - I just opened the box for the G2 last night.  So WMR, Steam and Steam VR are all installed and working.  Now, let's say I turn on my PC, power up my G2 headset (neither Steam nor Steam VR are running at this point - I'm not sure about whether WMR starts up automatically or not at this point) and I'm ready to start IL-2 GB.  What steps do I take to start IL-2?  Do I put the G2 on my head first and try to start IL-2 from in there somehow, or do I start IL-2 with mouse first and then put my G2 on?  How does IL-2 know I'm using my G2?  (With my Rift, there was some sort of setting in startup.cfg that said you were using VR so when IL-2 started it automatically seemed to start Steam VR, IIRC - but as I noted above I do not see any such setting in my startup.cfg.  Do I need to add one in there somewhere?)

 

Make sure VR is checked on in the game GUI.

You should have both Windows Mixed Reality and Windows Mixed Reality for Steam VR. Just put a shortcut on your desktop for Windows Mixed Reality for Steam VR. 

Launch WMR for Steam VR. Both WMR and Steam VR should launch.,

Now launch IL-2.exe. IL-2 should launch into VR in your headset.

Set up a toggle button for re-center VR and VR zoom while you are at it. You will want to hit the re-center VR when you are dropped in the cockpit.

Set up your graphics options and go have some fun!!

 

Later on as you get more comfortable with it you can then check out Open XR utilizing Open Composite. That gets a little more complex, after all it is a hack to allow one to bypass Steam VR and  use the Open XR runtime.

Edited November 24, 2022 by dburne

[TG-55Panthercules]

Thanks for the info - I thought there used to be a setting inside the startup.cfg file for VR use but I guess it's only on the game's settings screen before you hit play instead.

 

Anyway, it got me up and running enough to get into IL-2GB and run the SYN_Vander v6 benchmark for VR, though the results weren't very encouraging.  Also, something seems to be going wrong with my setup in that I can't seem to see the mouse cursor when I'm playing IL-2GB (or Star Wars Squadrons, for that matter) - I keep having to take my G2 off my head (at which point I can see the mouse cursor on the split-screen view on the monitor) to navigate the game menus and then put it back on when the mission actually starts.  I don't remember having that problem with my old Rift CV1, and I can't find any settings in SteamVR or WMR or the games that might be causing that problem.

 

Didn't have much time to mess around with testing this thing today, what with all the Thanksgiving activity and all, but hopefully I can get to the bottom of some of this stuff over the rest of the long weekend.

[dburne]

6 hours ago, TG-55Panthercules said:

Thanks for the info - I thought there used to be a setting inside the startup.cfg file for VR use but I guess it's only on the game's settings screen before you hit play instead.

 

Anyway, it got me up and running enough to get into IL-2GB and run the SYN_Vander v6 benchmark for VR, though the results weren't very encouraging.  Also, something seems to be going wrong with my setup in that I can't seem to see the mouse cursor when I'm playing IL-2GB (or Star Wars Squadrons, for that matter) - I keep having to take my G2 off my head (at which point I can see the mouse cursor on the split-screen view on the monitor) to navigate the game menus and then put it back on when the mission actually starts.  I don't remember having that problem with my old Rift CV1, and I can't find any settings in SteamVR or WMR or the games that might be causing that problem.

 

Didn't have much time to mess around with testing this thing today, what with all the Thanksgiving activity and all, but hopefully I can get to the bottom of some of this stuff over the rest of the long weekend.

 

Yeah someone can probably clarify that mouse setting better for you- pretty sure it is in your Windows Mixed Reality settings somewhere. Been a while for me and I do not have the software installed currently.

Edit: I "believe" there is also a setting in the WMR settings menu something like quality or performance. You will want to make sure it is on quality.

Edited November 25, 2022 by dburne

[firdimigdi]

7 hours ago, TG-55Panthercules said:

Thanks for the info - I thought there used to be a setting inside the startup.cfg file for VR use but I guess it's only on the game's settings screen before you hit play instead.

 

Anyway, it got me up and running enough to get into IL-2GB and run the SYN_Vander v6 benchmark for VR, though the results weren't very encouraging.  Also, something seems to be going wrong with my setup in that I can't seem to see the mouse cursor when I'm playing IL-2GB (or Star Wars Squadrons, for that matter) - I keep having to take my G2 off my head (at which point I can see the mouse cursor on the split-screen view on the monitor) to navigate the game menus and then put it back on when the mission actually starts.  I don't remember having that problem with my old Rift CV1, and I can't find any settings in SteamVR or WMR or the games that might be causing that problem.

 

Didn't have much time to mess around with testing this thing today, what with all the Thanksgiving activity and all, but hopefully I can get to the bottom of some of this stuff over the rest of the long weekend.

 

For the mouse control you want to press Win+Y so it doesn't say on your desktop that the input is being redirected. Or, better yet, set your Input Switching as below so you don't have it switching around whenever you wear your HMD; you rarely if ever need it to redirect the input anyway:

[TG-55Panthercules]

Thanks!  That seems to have done the trick as I now have mouse cursor visibility/control inside IL-2 GB in VR.

[p6889k]

Great thread guys, just bought the G2 as well and will be following the advice given here.