VRMod - Experimental Virtual Reality

IMPORTANT NOTICE

If you want to play in VR you need to have the vrmod module installed. It allows this addon to interface with SteamVR to access VR tracking, input, and display. It is not required for non-vr players or servers. You can find module downloads at: catse.net/vrmod

vrmod-module-master.zip SHA256: 9A799798F5ACF7CB2419AF068F4E329D3300BE810045D68FC495804D6DCBF3BA

note 2: i'm not actively maintaining this addon at the moment due to focusing on other projects. you might find more updated vr mods if you look around.

About

This addon attempts to make stock gmod sandbox work in VR. The addon (and module) are unfinished, so don't go in expecting a polished experience. You should not add this to PVP servers or where cheating or stability is a concern. There will be bugs and bad performance, maybe even crashes. It may not even work at all for some people. ** Do not buy VR or GMod just for this mod! **

Quickstart guide

1. Subscribe to this workshop addon
2. Install the module (read the beginning of the workshop description)
3. Right click gmod in your steam library, go to properties and disable "SteamVR Desktop Game Theater"
4. Temporarily disable all other addons to avoid conflicts. guide
5. Temporarily remove any GMod launch options
6. Enter a map using the Sandbox gamemode in single player
7. Open the VRMod menu by entering "vrmod" into the console, and press the "Start VR" button
8. Read the rest of this workshop description for any problems you may have encountered.

Controls

Default controller bindings are included for the following controllers: -Vive: image -Oculus Touch: image -WMR: same binding as Vive -Valve Index: image -Vive Cosmos: same binding as Oculus Touch

You can view and edit the bindings using SteamVR's binding editor. GMod must be running in VR for it to work. Example. Console commands can be bound to the controllers like (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAg26VGeXfk)

Notable concmds and convars:

vrmod	opens the vrmod menu
vrmod_start / vrmod_exit	start/exit vr directly
cardboardmod_start / cardboardmod_exit	3DOF mouse&keyboard mode
vrmod_znear	adjusts near clipping plane distance. default is 1, higher values (7 for example) will result in less z-fighting at a distance but the camera will clip through near objects sooner
vrmod_showonstartup	setting this to 1 will show the vrmod menu upon loading into a map. Could be used with SteamVR desktop to start gmod and vrmod from within vr

Common problems / FAQ

Error: module update required

The installer can be used to update the module. If it fails you can also try downloading the .zip and updating the files manually like this. Some browsers and networks can serve old versions of downloads due to caching systems. If it still shows an old version in-game, the updated module files have not been added to the correct location. Note that it's possible to have multiple GMod installation locations, especially with multiple drives / partitions.

Controller not tracking

This is likely caused by bad controller bindings. Try resetting your binds to default. If default bindings are not available for your controller type you need to create new binds. Make sure the two controller poses (pose_lefthand and pose_righthand) are mapped to the controllers.

It says module not installed

In 99% of cases this means the module files are not in the right places. There has been one case of Reshade causing this error.

Crash (game closes) when entering VR

Make sure SteamVR Desktop Game Theater is disabled and the game is not running in it. Try starting VRMod with and without SteamVR already running in the background.

Left eye is gray

Try disabling all other addons.

How do I uninstall this?

The installer contains an uninstall option. You can also manually delete the module files.

does this work on oclus??? rift?? rift S??? quest??? quest 2????

If you can run half-life alyx then this should work too no matter what vr system youre using

How can I improve the performance?

Performance depends mostly on the CPU used. I'd recommend Ryzen 5800x or better. GPUs above GTX 1070 will likely not affect performance. Native SteamVR headsets (Vive and Index) will likely have the least overhead. As a rule of thumb, you should normally get over 400 fps on desktop in order to run this smoothly in VR in the same situation. Additional tips: play in single player on an optimized map, disable all other addons, if the map has reflective water try pasting the following into the console: "r_WaterDrawReflection 0; r_cheapwaterend 99999; mat_reloadtextures".

Resolution is low

The resolution can be changed in SteamVR settings. You need to restart vrmod for the setting to take effect.

Wrong height / crouching doesn't work properly / things look too small or big

Stand up in real life, then select "show height adjustment menu" from the VRMod options and use it to adjust your height.

Is this HL2 VR?

No, it just happens to be possible to load up HL2 maps and have them mostly work. Its not a main focus for this addon. The experience might become better with future updates due to general improvements, and also other addons/gamemodes specifically aimed at hl2 vr.

Do my friends need this to see me in VR?

No, only the server needs the workshop addon.

cant click on vr menus / spawnmenu

after starting vrmod you must close the console / pause menu / any other menus that cause the cursor to be free

no audio

start steamvr before gmod and make sure you hear everything in your headset before starting vrmod if the audio output device changes while the game is running it might break

Information for developers

If you want to make a compatible addon: vrmod lua api Compatible weapon demos: Guns, Longbow

If you want to make a standalone VR addon and only need the core VR functionality without bloat, you can directly use the VRMod module. Function descriptions are included in its readme. Standalone VR game demo: G-Saber.

If you have any questions you can ask me on discord.

Special thanks to

(https://steamcommunity.com/id/UselessGhost) for sharing tips and their code in the workshop discussions, which I have used to improve the performance of mirroring the game to the headset. -willox for updating gmod which has made VR work better, as well as providing solutions for some issues with the module