OpenXR for Windows Mixed Reality updates in the store (2/16)

User Support Hub Virtual Reality (VR)
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Hello all,

If you are not using a Windows Mixed Reality headset (such as the HP Reverb or Samsung Odyssey), you may disregard this message.

I wanted to send a quick message to indicate that there will be an update of the OpenXR for Windows Mixed Reality and OpenXR Tools for Windows Mixed Reality apps on the Microsoft store later today (2/16 or 2/17 depending on your time zone).

For users of the OpenXR for Windows Mixed Reality package only, the new version is 109.2111.23003. This version is being rolled out over the next few days, and it may take up to a week for your system to perform the update.

For users of the OpenXR Tools for Windows Mixed Reality package, which includes the preview OpenXR runtime, the new version is 110.2202.10002. This version should become available to all users in the next day. Note: The preview runtime must be enabled from the OpenXR Tools application, under the Settings tab, otherwise the runtime from the OpenXR for Windows Mixed Reality package is being used.

One important note: in this version, the previously named OpenXR Developer Tools for Windows Mixed Reality is now simply called OpenXR Tools for Windows Mixed Reality. The organization of the settings is also changed to make it less developer-centric. However, besides these cosmetic changes, the app has the same capabilities as before.

Please consult the release notes for the corresponding version on our GitHub page: Releases · microsoft/OpenXR-MixedReality · GitHub.

If you are experiencing issues with OpenXR applications or related to these updates, please follow the steps to file a report in the Feedback Hub: Filing bugs and feedback - Enthusiast Guide | Microsoft Learn.

Before filing a report for a new issue that you did not see before the update, we ask you to please try rolling back any other changes you might have made recently (eg: driver updates, or settings changes) and also try disabling the preview runtime (if you are using it).

If you have more questions, please take a look at the post I made last month:

Thank you everyone, and happy simming!

7 Likes
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Hi, thankyou for the info, just updated myself, I’ll be using the new preview runtime 110.2202.10002, seems the page tabs have moved and API Layers notification line has moved above Extensions. Will see if any effect on Open XR Toolkit

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Just updated mine as well. Hoping there are some “under the hood” improvements rather than cosmetic UI changes.

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updated :hugs:

check it now!

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They posted this in Jan

Q: What’s next (Jan 2022)?

We will be making a release sometimes in late January or early February. This release is mostly targeted at Enterprise customers (so HoloLens 2). There are a couple of small improvements related to VR and Flight Simulator, namely fixing an occasional CTD and some performance improvements related to VR controller tracking.

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Thank you so much for this heads up. So, on the renaming of the “developer tools” app to just OpenXR tools without the word “developer”, that new name now sounds so similar to the fantastic app you created called OpenXR toolkit. But they are still 2 separate apps to compliment the base WMR app. I think that’s right.

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Lol, yes this is an unfortunate outcome. You have to think that OpenXR Toolkit is completely separate and unrelated to the work Microsoft does on the OpenXR Runtime. Not much I can do about this :expressionless:

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Using the Preview Runtime makes the image in my headset flicker to the point of being unusable. I experienced the same thing with the previous release. I can only get a useable image when the preview runtime is disabled. Funny enough, the images stops flickering if I use Preview Runtime + Motion Reprojection.

I am using an HP Reverb G2 + 3080Ti, 64GB RAM, i9900k. Latest Nvidia driver.

I see something similar in the WMR Home as well but not as bad as in the sim. There is definitely a lot more “tearing” and flickering with the preview runtime enabled.

Edit: Disabling HAGS fixes the issue
. Unfortunately I lose 3-5 frames with HAGS off.

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I have same setup and annoying double vision. Is that same that flickering? Seeing objects as double in close range in higher speeds at the ground?

I did get off the double vision problem with 60hz hack: g2 to 60hz mode, fps locked to 60fps and settings edited to keep fps constant 60fps.

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I doubt it. I get flickering by simply moving my head.

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I’ve had the flickering happen randomly and restarting the sim and WMR fixes the problem for me. I can’t pinpoint why it happens but it is completely random. I have MR off.

G2, 3080, 5800x.

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I don’t know it we are talking the same flickering (I experience it from time to time just after moving to VR and turning my head - when it happens - when I go to sim menu or even the clif house - it continues). The probablity of this issue is much higher in my case if I have the windows desktop enabled in the VR. The smaller the FPS the higher probablity of this phenomenon in my case.

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@fulatoro, @Booms3220 and @stekusteku, thanks for reporting this. If you are seeing this in the WMR portal too, then I don’t think it could be related to OpenXR. I think I have heard of a similar issue recently, and someone suggested to try different settings for the Experience in the Headset display of the WMR settings:

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Could you give a try to the various settings here? Especially the “Let Windows Decide” option.

This is extremely odd but still pin-points to not being an OpenXR issue. When we make a new release, we promote the previous preview release. So the version you use 2 days ago with “enable preview” has now become today the one when you do not do “enable preview” (you can look at the version number too, 109.2111.23003). If it was indeed an issue of the previous preview release, you would today have the issue with the non-preview (stable) release. Hope that makes sense.

Curious to hear if the setting mentioned above makes a difference.

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Just a bit of an anecdote (I need to try to recreate this systematically) but I can get the MSFS VR OpenXR flickers depending on the order I open things up. Example: yesterday I updated OpenXR to latest (with preview on) and MSFS Beta 8 and poked around in 2D. I then decided to try some VR with my Reverb, powered it on, saw the WMR Portal come up, waited for focus to be allowed back to MSFS and then hit ‘enter VR’ (Ctrl+Tab for me). It flickered/stuttered when looking around, and although the framerate was pretty normal (about 45 fps on a 3080 Ti using the toolkit 100% sim, 100% OXR, 80% FSR) it was lagging.

As I had seen this before, to ‘fix’ it I exited MSFS, exited WMR and then restarted WMR first. Putting on the headset I then accessed my desktop, clicked the MSFS icon to start, and used it in 2D from within VR. Once in the ‘Ready for Flight’ cut-scene thing, I hit Ctrl+Tab, saw the WMR dots whooosh :slight_smile: and then performance is steady and fine.

Early Guess Conclusion: Starting up WMR before MSFS is started and then activating VR later seems to help.

So maybe fragmented VRAM or some resource where WMR starting up late is fighting MSFS? Dunno, but as I have a workaround I wanted to share.

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image

I indeed got 110.2202.10002, but I guess the french translators didn’t get the memo to remove “Developer” from the name. :wink:

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Yes and I confirm! I’ve notice the same some day ago. If you start the WMR after FS2020 is launched, that flicker/stutter occurs. The solution is to start the WMR first and then FS.

1 Like
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Yes we are aware of that. It’s just not French, it’s all non-English languages. We’ll be updating the translations in a later version.

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Regarding the kind of flicker I sometimes observe:

  1. Just after going to VR, the plane dark and cold, rotational movement of my head, no reprojection (my 3070 and i7-7700k is not strong enough) - things jumping like 3 FPS (while FPS counter shows 20), mostly impacting vertical lines, windows, wall edges, vertical lines in the cockpit. Visible both in cockpit and external views.
  2. Having the WMR desktop in VR increases probability of this issue to happen.
  3. When I go back to the sim menu - the flicker is still there.
  4. And when I exit the sim and I go to the cliff house (actually the round minimalistic platform version of the cliff house) I still see this flicker. So something triggered in the sim, continues to impact even the cliff house! Restart of the WMR Portal cures it
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@mbucchia just tried again based on @PathTracer75, @notsofearless suggestions. I started WMR first then the sim and I can confirm that there is no flicker even with HAGS ON and Preview Runtime enabled. I consistently get the flicker if I start the sim first then WMR.

Thanks for your input @PathTracer75, @notsofearless.

1 Like
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Thanks, can you also confirm “even with preview runtime ON”?