Fix VD reporting controllers as sleep/inactive to steamvr when not moving
closed
lackofbindings
After exactly 8 seconds of not moving the controllers they are reported to steamvr as though they had gone to sleep or disconnected. This happens regardless of whether or not a capacitive sensor is active (holding the controllers in my hands), though fully holding down a trigger/button can prevent it. It is incredibly infuriating especially in casual experiences like vrchat where you don't move your hands around a lot, but can also impact other games if you hold your hands too still.
At first I though this was a bug in Meta's firmware because the symptoms seemed to coincide with that. Then I suspected VRChat (the main game I play) because other people on the VRChat feedback forums had started a thread about a similar issue. However after testing with Steam Link and ALVR I have determined that this only happens when connected via VD.
Using Quest Pro with Quest Pro Controllers.
3
3nigma
closed
mbucchia
We have investigated this issue and our conclusion is that the issue is not caused by Virtual Desktop.
The issue only happens in VRChat and at the time the issue appears, Virtual Desktop is correctly reporting the controllers as connected and sending valid data.
We have sent this report to the VRChat developers, and they have confirmed that this behavior was intentional from their end in order to resolve an accessibility issue reported early on by their users. They're implementing a custom idle detection based on pose data. Around version 1.30.4, some changes in Virtual Desktop have rendered this idle detection bogus.
This is not a bug of Virtual Desktop. We are hopeful that VRChat will be removing this non-standard, incorrect practice in a future version.
lackofbindings
Update: I recently learned that it is possible to get previous versions of virtual desktop. This allowed me to bisect versions to locate when the bug was introduced. Here are my test results:
Initial conditions: Quest Pro on v67, "Auto switch to hand tracking" is off.
Test procedure:
- Launch VD and start VRChat.
- Place both controllers down on a solid surface, but close enough to you that the arm is bent enough so that you could tell if it snaps down to your side.
- I placed one controller under a blanket to also test how long it takes if tracking is lost.
Results: 1.30.1:
- it took 1min 30sec for the hand with the controller under the blanket to snap down to my side.
- it took 5min for the uncovered controller to snap down to my side
Results in 1.30.4:
- it took 6 seconds for the covered controller to snap down to my side
- it took 3 seconds for the hand with the uncovered controller to snap down to my side.
This proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the issue is a bug in VD that was introduced in version 1.30.4.
lackofbindings
For a baseline, I installed the meta quest app on my pc and tested over air link. And the results are consistent with the older VD 1.30.1
Results in Quest Link:
- it took 1 minute for the covered controller to snap down to my side
- it took 5 minutes for the hand with the uncovered controller to snap down to my side.
lackofbindings
Would love a word from the devs on this, are they not able to repro? I have been stuck using steam link for months because of this issue.
M
Mr_Mouche
Same with my quest 3 controllers and quest pro controllers. Please fix it or my quest controllers will be learn to fly !
xCommando
I have the same problem with a quest 2 and quest pro.
W
WadRail
I'm getting the same issue with my quest 1, 2 and 3 (no quest pro controllers) and a friend with his quest pro. I really hope this get fix
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-- nikki --
Please, make a fix for this, i can’t even hold my pillow or put my hands on my knees without loosing tracking >__<. As another person said just for this reason alone i was thinking going with steam link, but VD is just better with latency for me and picture quality, so please, help :3
Yue
I have the same problem on Quest Pro
Mackandelius
I tested SteamLink and Virtual Desktop to compare the behavior.
VD causes it to happen in seconds, hand tracking turned off. https://avali.one/system/shareFS/VirtualDesktop.mp4
SteamLink didn't happen in the 2 minute tests I did, apparently it can happen after like 5 minutes, but 5 minutes during which you can accidentally reset this timer is waaay better. https://avali.one/system/shareFS/SteamLink.mp4
Both times I just put the controllers on my table.
lackofbindings
Mackandelius Sounds about right. For me it is always exactly 8 seconds in VD, meanwhile in SteamLink I have never once had it happen by accident.
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