VR on Linux
Root-cause analysis of stuttering VR on Linux with an NVIDIA GPU, and an open-source alternative to SteamVR.
Context & objective
VR on my Debian machine (Valve Index, RTX 3070) stuttered, because asynchronous reprojection, which smooths out dropped frames, didn’t work.
What I built
An analysis down to the root cause: NVIDIA’s Linux driver lacks hooks SteamVR relies on for reprojection (late latching and GPU preemption), which AMD’s open driver stack provides. My recommendation: Monado with xrizer instead of SteamVR.
Challenges
Tracing a stutter you can see in the headset down to a missing driver feature.
What I learned
TODO(content): in your own words. Raw material: how reprojection works, how the NVIDIA and AMD graphics stacks differ on Linux.