Installation Guide

Launcher (BETA)

Launcher will allow you to manage old, current and new installations of ALVR streamer and allow to automatically install and upgrade to specific ALVR app version on headset

Installation

• Download alvr_launcher_windows.zip (on Windows) or alvr_launcher_linux.tar.gz (on Linux) from the release download page and extract into a path that contains only ASCII characters (english only) and has edit permissions without administrator or root rights.
• Run ALVR Launcher.exe (on Windows) or alvr_launcher_linux/ALVR Launcher (on Linux)
• Press Add version button
• For default installation keep channel and version as is and press Install
• Wait until it finishes downloading, installing (depends on your connection)
• To install ALVR app on headset, use button Install APK
• In the list, to open streamer app (PC) press Launch. You will be greeted with a setup wizard. Follow the setup to set the firewall rules and other settings.

Usage

• Before launching SteamVR through ALVR, please install it. First time launch will result in steamvr being blank and alvr will not work - close it and start again. It will have registered driver and should work.
• Launch ALVR app on your headset. While the headset screen is on, click Trust next to the device entry (in the ALVR streamer app on PC, in the Devices tab) to start streaming.
• You can change settings on the PC in the Settings tab. Most of the settings require to restart SteamVR to be applied. Use the apposite button on the bottom right corner.

For any problem visit the Troubleshooting page.

Microphone Setup on Windows

To use your microphone in ALVR on Windows you need to install Virtual Audio Cable (or equivalent software). However if Virtual Audio Cable is already installed but not working with ALVR or if you encounter any issues, it's worth following these steps to reinstall and configure it properly.

1. Install or Reinstall Virtual Audio Cable

1. Download the latest Lite version of Virtual Audio Cable.
2. Extract the ZIP archive.
3. Open the extracted folder and run "setup64.exe" as administrator.

2. Configure Windows Sound Settings

1. Open Windows Sound Settings (Win + I → "Sound").
2. Under Output Devices:
   • Do not set any "Virtual Audio Cable" as the default output, or you’ll hear yourself. Select your headphone or whatever you're using.

3. Configure ALVR

1. Open ALVR and go to Settings.
2. Set Headset Speaker → System Default.
3. Set Headset Microphone → Automatic or Virtual Audio Cable.

Advanced installation

Installing app using Sidequest

• Install SideQuest on your PC and enable developer mode on the headset. You can follow this guide.
• Connect your headset to Sidequest. If you have Quest, Pico, and other compatible device download the ALVR app here

Manually installing ALVR streamer

There is also a portable version for the PC that requires more manual steps to make it work.

Windows

• Download alvr_streamer_windows.zip from the latest release download page.
• Unzip into a path that contains only ASCII characters and has edit permissions without administrator rights.
• Run

Linux

• Download alvr_streamer_linux.tar.gz from the release download page, extract it.
• Run bin/alvr_dashboard

Nightly

If you want to get new features early or you want to help with testing you can install a nightly version.

Download the latest nightly streamer here.

Since nightly releases can be unstable, always use matching versions for PC and headset. They are updated once a day.

Arch Linux (AUR)

• Install rustup and a rust toolchain, if you don't have it: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Rust#Arch_Linux_package.
• Install alvr^AUR (stable, amdgpu), or alvr-nvidia^AUR (stable, nvidia), or alvr-git^AUR(nightly, unstable)
• Install SteamVR, launch it once then close it.
• Run alvr_dashboard or ALVR from your DE's application launcher.

Flatpak

For Flatpak users, refer to the instructions here

Advanced usage

Use ALVR together with third-party drivers

By default ALVR disables other SteamVR drivers before starting. Among these drivers there is Driver4VR for full body tracking. ALVR disables these drivers to maximize compatibility with every PC setup. You can disable this behavior by manually registering the ALVR driver. Go to the installation tab and click on Register ALVR driver. The next time you launch ALVR you will be able to use the other drivers concurrently.

Launch ALVR together with SteamVR

You can skip the ALVR Dashboard and open ALVR automatically together with SteamVR.

Note: You can only do that while SteamVR is not already running. Otherwise driver might be unregistered on shutdown.

Open ALVR, go to the Installation tab and click on Register ALVR driver.

Connect headset to PC via a USB Cable

Check out the guide here.