HTC Vive Pro and Vive Pro 2 tips: How to set up the Vive Pro and tackle issues

(Pocket-lint) - The HTC Vive Pro 2 might good beryllium 1 of the champion VR headsets connected the market. It is surely an incredibly almighty VR headset and a measurement up from the archetypal HTC Vive and the Vive headsets that came earlier it. 

The setup of the HTC Vive Pro and the Vive Pro 2 is, for the astir part, comparatively straightforward arsenic agelong arsenic you person capable space. We encountered immoderate insignificant hiccups during our setup which marque it worthy america discussing the process and immoderate stumbling blocks you mightiness travel crossed on the way. 

We acceptable up the headsets successful an average-sized surviving country with conscionable astir capable abstraction for room-scale tracking. We besides utilized a reasonably high-end gaming machine, freshly built and acceptable for VR. 

• The champion VR headsets to buy

Unboxing

The unboxing and setup process is going to alteration depending connected whether you bought the headset connected its ain oregon the afloat bundle with the controllers and basal stations. 

As standard, the headset comes successful a compact container connected its own. There are nary basal stations oregon controllers successful this container arsenic they request to beryllium purchased separately oregon harvested from your original HTC Vive system if you've conscionable upgraded. 

The headsets bash see the caller cables and upgraded nexus container though. This power container connects to the headset via a proprietary cablegram and past connects to your PC via a USB cablegram and DisplayPort connection. 

Getting everything retired of the box, the setup is comparatively simple. Especially if you person a moving thought of however to acceptable up the archetypal HTC Vive. 

HTC Vive Pro bundle setup

One of the archetypal things to bash is to download the software which includes the main Vive Software and Steam excessively (if you don't already person that installed). 

Once installed, the Vive bundle volition usher you done astir of the process to guarantee your strategy is acceptable up decently and each the components are connected and acceptable up the mode they should be. 

HTC Vive Pro basal stations

squirrel_widget_6144378

In bid to function, some the HTC Vive Pro and Vive Pro 2 necessitate the setup of two basal stations which let the headset to way wherever it is successful the country and the question of your caput portion you play. These basal stations request to beryllium purchased separately and acceptable up successful the country you mean to play in. 

The basal stations ideally request to beryllium positioned above caput tallness and angled downwards successful other corners of the room. You tin usage camera tripods oregon a gangly bookshelf oregon adjacent wall-mounts to permanently acceptable the boxes to the wall, but they request a bully presumption of the country if you privation the champion VR experience. 

Getting some basal stations supra caput tallness and correctly positioned with a bully presumption of the country tin beryllium tricky depending connected the layout of your country and the instrumentality you person to hand. We've done everything from balancing them connected apical of cupboards to popping connected apical of books, connected a tripod and overmuch more. 

As good arsenic ensuring the basal stations are acceptable up successful the close spot successful the room, you'll besides request to guarantee they are adjacent a powerfulness root arsenic they some request to beryllium plugged into the mains powerfulness proviso successful bid to work. 

Once you've got the setup close though, the small greenish lights connected the basal stations volition fto you cognize that everything is good and tracking is moving properly. The Steam VR bundle volition besides amusement these are tracking and pass you if they can't spot the headset. 

Firmware updates

It's worthy noting that occasionally the antithetic components request updating with caller firmware. This means plugging them into your instrumentality - arsenic unluckily this cannot beryllium done wirelessly. This tin beryllium a hassle, particularly with basal stations arsenic you'll person to get them down from their perch to plug them in, but it's worthy doing to guarantee everything is moving smoothly. 

HTC Vive Pro wireless controllers 

squirrel_widget_6144407

Another abstracted but indispensable acquisition for the HTC Vive Pro are the wireless controllers. 

These controllers bash necessitate regular charging though and they besides request charging earlier you tin play for the archetypal time. They each travel with Mini-USB to USB leads and charging adapters, truthful if you don't person capable USB sockets connected a PC to bash it, you request to find adjacent much plug sockets. The controllers whitethorn besides request firmware updates, truthful it's worthy plugging them into your PC erstwhile you get a chance. 

During the setup process, the Vive bundle volition speech you done pairing the controllers with your system. Pressing the paper and strategy buttons unneurotic is capable to get them to nexus and this process is beauteous straightforward arsenic agelong arsenic they are afloat charged. 

HTC Vive Link box

To link the HTC Vive Pro to your gaming PC, you request the nexus container successful bid for it to work. This nexus container is somewhat antithetic from the nexus container connected the archetypal HTC Vive. Previously, the VR headset connected to your PC via an HDMI cable, present connected the HTC Vive Pro and Vive Pro 2 link via DisplayPort. 

This was an contented for america initially erstwhile we went to acceptable up the HTC Vive Pro with the gaming laptop we usually usage for VR gaming, lone to find we couldn't link to that instrumentality arsenic it lone had an HDMI output. This mightiness beryllium an contented for you too. Most modern gaming machines volition see a DisplayPort connection, but if not a converter mightiness beryllium required. 

The nexus container besides needs to beryllium connected to the aforesaid gaming instrumentality via USB and to a powerfulness source. The different quality present is the caller power container has a powerfulness fastener connected it. You request to beryllium definite this is turned connected during the setup process successful bid to get everything moving smoothly. 

Room setup and calibration

With each the hardware plugged in, paired and connected, the bundle past encourages you to calibrate according to the dimensions of your country and however you privation to play. 

Like the HTC Vive, the Vive Pro and Vive Pro 2 let for seated, lasting oregon room-scale play. For room-scale, you request to representation retired the country utilizing the controllers to fto the strategy cognize the layout of your country and forestall you from bumping into household objects portion you play. 

This step-by-step calibration process is beauteous straightforward. You'll beryllium asked to calibrate the mediate of your play space, the level tallness and the edges of the room. You are asked to hint the outline of your play country utilizing 1 of the controllers. We discovered that utilizing the precocious enactment you could simply click successful the 4 corners of the country and the bundle did the rest. This provided a much close speechmaking too, but you request to beryllium alert of obstacles successful the country and however they mightiness interaction your gaming. 

If you trace over the apical of a sofa, reasoning you'll beryllium capable to play adjacent it, you mightiness travel unstuck erstwhile an entity successful the VR satellite is unreachable due to the fact that it's underneath the sofa successful the existent world. 

Finding a comfy fit

These headsets are a batch easier to deterioration than different headsets we've tried. The plan is acold much comfortable, but getting the acceptable close makes a large quality to your gaming experience. 

The archetypal happening to bash is to measurement your Interpupillary Distance (IPD) - this is the region betwixt the mediate of your pupils. There's a useful paper supplied with the headset which talks you done utilizing this measurement and a reflector to get an close reading. You tin past set the dial connected the close manus of the headset to acceptable the close IPD for your eyes. 

Underneath the headset is simply a fastener that allows you to set the extent of the headset and bring the lenses person to your eyes. This is different comfortableness accommodation that makes a large difference. 

The headset should acceptable with the rear astatine the basal of your skull and the beforehand of the headset sitting comfortably connected your face. There's an evident chopped retired for your chemoreceptor wherever the headset should rest. Then tighten the accommodation instrumentality and the velcro strap connected apical to get the champion presumption and comfort. This mightiness instrumentality a spot of fiddling the archetypal fewer times, but it makes a large difference. The extremity effect should beryllium a wide presumption of the VR satellite without immoderate acheronian areas oregon interruptions from outer airy sources.

Connection issues

If everything is plugged successful the mode it should beryllium and you're having transportation issues wherever the PC won't recognise the headset, past it could beryllium that you're having the aforesaid problems we did. 

The fastener underneath that allows you to set the extent of the headset tin besides mean that it springs retired with rather a batch of vigour. So overmuch truthful that we recovered the cablegram that attaches to the headset itself had disconnected and was stopping the headset from functioning. If you announcement that this cablegram appears a spot loose, determination is simply a solution.

Firstly widen the headset to its afloat extent setting. Then region the padded facemask. Underneath that, you'll spot a sheet connected the apical near of the headset, which tin beryllium removed with a small gentle unit and immoderate wiggling. Under determination is the USB-C transportation port, but besides wherever the main cablegram plugs into the headset. It's casual capable to past guarantee the headset is decently plugged successful and this should lick immoderate issues you mightiness beryllium having. 

HTC Vive Pro PC specifications

The minimum strategy requirements connected the HTC Vive Pro are beauteous akin to the archetypal HTC Vive. 

• Processor: Intel Core i5-4590 oregon AMD FX 8350 oregon better
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX1060 oregon AMD Radeon RX480 oregon better
• Memory: 4 GB RAM oregon more
• Video out: DisplayPort 1.2 oregon newer
• USB ports: 1x USB 3.0 oregon newer
• Operating system: Windows 8.1 oregon later

The Vive Pro 2 is simply a much almighty headset and truthful tin necessitate a spot much powerfulness to marque the astir of it. 

Therecommendedspecifications for the Vive Pro 2's afloat 5K solution and 120Hz refresh complaint are:

• Processor: Intel Core i5-4590 oregon AMD FX 8350 (equivalent oregon better) / Memory: 8GB RAM (or more)
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 oregon AMD Radeon RX 5700 (equivalent oregon better)
• Video out: DisplayPort 1.4 (or newer)
• USB ports: 1x USB 3.0 (or newer)
• OS: Microsoft Windows 10

As we've said, it's worthy noting that you bash request a DisplayPort transportation connected your gaming instrumentality oregon laptop successful bid to tally this headset. You tin usage a DisplayPort Mini adapter oregon DisplayPort-to-USB-C adapter if required, but if you lone person HDMI past you mightiness travel unstuck. 

We'd urge updating your PC with the latest graphics drivers earlier you commencement trying to usage the headset. 

Crashes are a beauteous mean acquisition of VR gaming - particularly if you're playing aboriginal entree VR games oregon moving beta software, but immoderate lag oregon disconnect mightiness constituent to a bigger contented that needs addressing. We'd suggest ensuring the basal stations person a bully enactment of show and aren't artifact and everything is decently plugged successful and charged too. 

Tackling issues portion wearing the headset

There are occasionally issues you'll travel crossed wherever the crippled crashes oregon determination are problems switching betwixt games. In the aged days of the archetypal Vive you'd person to instrumentality the headset disconnected to hole these issues. Now beingness is simply a spot easier.

Open up the interface erstwhile wearing the headset and you'll spot an enactment to presumption the desktop. This gives you a virtual presumption of your Windows desktop via the headset. From determination you tin tackle problems, judge firewall changes, motorboat programs oregon simply browse the web. 

Another happening you tin bash is the passthrough cameras to spot the satellite astir you. This is useful to re-orientate yourself oregon to simply tackle issues with the headset oregon your situation without taking the headset off. 

Triple-click the paper fastener connected your controller and the passthrough cameras volition activate to fto you spot your world. It's imaginable to spot the afloat country astir you with a greenish haze oregon person a tiny representation of the country look connected your controller. This is precise handy. 

That covered, you should present beryllium up and moving and escaped to bask all the joys of VR gaming with the HTC Vive Pro. We'd urge these games to get you started:

• L.A. Noire The VR Case Files review
• Doom VFR review: Harder than hell
• Giant Cop Justice Above All review
• Knockout League review: Arcade-style VR boxing is simply a smash hit
• GORN VR review: Hilarity and brutality abound
• Dead Effect 2 VR review

Writing by Adrian Willings. Originally published connected 3 April 2018.