MSFS 2024 SU4 – Simulator exits when SteamVR runtime stops, even after VR was disabled (regression from SU3)

Bug Reporting Hub Virtual Reality (VR)
, ,
1

After SU4 - MSFS 2024 ends / CTDs whenever SteamVR is ended, regardless of VR injection or 2D

I’m reporting a regression in VR / OpenXR handling introduced with Sim Update 4.

For long-haul flights I have used the same workflow since MSFS 2020 (since ~2021):

  • Start MSFS 2024 and load the plane / flight

  • Start VR mode via Shortcut, SteamVR launches itself and begin preperation / flight in VR

  • On reaching cruise switching back to 2D. Due to stability issues best way for me was to simply stop SteamVR

  • Later re-enter VR for descent/approach through MSFS2024 as before via shortcut.

This workflow worked reliably throughout SU3, and in general already in the MSFS days since 2021.

Behavior before SU4 (SU3 and earlier):

  • After turning off SteamVR, MSFS2024 dropped out of VR projection.

  • MSFS 2024 continued running in 2D

  • SteamVR could later be restarted and VR re-entered

  • Not perfect, but functional and stable

Behavior since SU4:

  • As soon as SteamVR stops, crashes, or is restarted,
    MSFS 2024 immediately terminates

  • This happens even if VR was already disabled and the sim is in full 2D mode

  • The shutdown appears intentional (controlled exit), not a classic CTD

Critical issue:

SteamVR (Valve Index) can hang during the VR → 2D switch itself
(e.g. compositor freeze or headset tracking stall).

In that case:

  • SteamVR must be restarted

  • Restarting SteamVR always terminates MSFS 2024

  • The current flight cannot be recovered

This means that once VR has been used, any SteamVR runtime failure ends the flight, even if the user has already returned to 2D.

FREQUENCY OF ISSUE

Every single time SteamVR is restarted or stopped. Being in 2D or VR-mode does not change this behaviour.

REPRODUCTION STEPS

Please list clear steps you took in order to help our test team reproduce the same issue:

  1. Start MSFS 2024

  2. Load a flight

  3. Enter VR (Valve Index via SteamVR / OpenXR) or MSFS 2024 shortcut

  4. Exit VR back to 2D (Ctrl+Tab or in-sim menu)

  5. Stop or restart SteamVR

  6. MSFS 2024 exits immediately

  7. Same happens when SteamVR is ended before dropping back to 2D (omitting step 4)

Expected behavior:

  • After VR is disabled, MSFS should:

    • fully release the OpenXR session, or

    • gracefully ignore later XR runtime termination

  • SteamVR stopping should not force MSFS to close while running in 2D or in VR

  • This was effectively the behavior in SU3 and earlier versions

Actual behavior:

  • OpenXR runtime loss is treated as fatal even when VR is no longer active

  • MSFS exits as soon as SteamVR stops or restarts

Hardware / Runtime:

  • Headset: Valve Index

  • Runtime: SteamVR (OpenXR)

  • GPU: NVIDIA GTX4080

  • OS: Windows 11

(Note: Issue is architecture-related and reproducible regardless of GPU load)

YOUR SETTINGS

If the issue still occurs with no mods and add-ons, please continue to report your issue. If not, please move this post to the User Support Hub.

What VR peripherals are you using: - Valve Index

[PC Only] Are you using Developer Mode or have you made any changes to it? - No

[PC Only] What GPU (Graphics Card) do you use? - GTX 4080

[PC Only] What other relevant PC specs can you share? - Ryzen 7950X, 64GB RAM

2 Likes
2

You can see also that VR is being initialized upon the first load of MSFS at the menus, instead of when the user toggles VR mode on.

1 Like
3

+1

When I try to toggle out of VR in the game, the graphics become a slideshow. It seems to me like the game is trying to render both 2D and 3D at the same time, which obviousely doesn’t work. This was already the case in MSFS 2020, but in 2020 I could at least somewhat reliably ALT-TAB and kill Steam VR, after which the game resumed in 2D with good FPS.

In MSFS 2024 this is no longer possible, as exiting or killing Steam VR also promptly closes the game. This makes VR unplayable for me, since it basically forces me to do the entire flight in VR.

Valve Index on RTX3080, MSFS 2024 Steam, Windows 10.

1 Like
4

Hello, brief update from my end.

I have a workaround, that is working for me, albeit with a loss of some flexibility.

What I do now is the following:

When I plan a longer flight with several hours between take-off and landing, I use the following steps:

  1. Start SteamVR in SafeMode

    1. There is a good description here:
      Steam Support :: SteamVR Troubleshooting (Index)
      The relevant approach here:

      SteamVR in safe mode:

      1. Type “run” into the Windows search bar.
      2. Type “vrmonitor://safemode/enable” into the Run window.
  2. Start MSFS 2024
  3. Start the flight
  4. Tab-In in VR and set-up the flight
  5. Take-off
  6. On reaching cruise, tabbing out of VR. Afterwards SteamVR can be ended without MSFS2024 crashing. Tabbing in is possible, as long as SteamVR in safemode is running before being shut down the first time.
  7. On reaching top of descent: Just using the MSFS keybind to tab into VR, which will automatically launch SteamVR.
  8. Conclude the flight. Do not attempt to tab out of VR or end SteamVR. It will most likely crash MSFS.
  9. Additional flights require a restart of MSFS / PC and beginning with 1 again. On second launch of VR I was not able to succesfully tab out of SteamVR anymore without crashing MSFS, SteamVR or both. It is however possible to continue flying, as long as there is no need to tab out or end SteamVR.

As long as SteamVR is in Safemode, all is working rather flawlessly, including tabbing in and out of MSFS several times. I do not recommend trying to start SteamVR in safemode more than once per session. If I didn’t launch SteamVR on MSFS startup or before, SteamVR didn’t properly launch in about 2/3 instances overall. I assume this issue will be the same during a later stage in flight as well. Somehow in these instances OpenXR didn’t launch properly.

@Asobo: As was written before, there seems to be an issue, that OpenXR isn’t properly ended on tabbing out, leading to a double rendering on 2D and attempted 3D. When trying to close SteamVR, this automatically sends a kill all to MSFS, which ends the simulation. For some reason, SteamVR safemode works as it should be. Please check what changes between SU3 and SU4 have been made to the OpenXR runtime and restore the original behavior.

1 Like