PSA: WMR advanced registry setting might help getting better performance 🔵

Virtual Reality (VR) Hardware & Performance
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#1

Hi,

In order to support classic Win32 applications in Windows Mixed Reality (WMR), each time a new Win32 application is launched, a virtual monitor has to be created. Unfortunately, creating a virtual monitor is an intensive task that can cause the headset display to briefly freeze and by default WMR is pre-allocating 3 virtual monitors.

Unfortunately if you’re not using this feature, which is displaying a Win32 app into a floating window in the VR world, it might be taking some resources you might want to free instead. In effect, some are reporting they are eliminating all stutters they were experiencing in doing so and you might want to try.

To disable virtual monitor pre-allocation:

  1. Launch Registry Editor
  2. Navigate to “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Holographic”
  3. If the “PreallocateVirtualMonitors” REG_DWORD is not present, create it by selecting Edit > New > DWORD (32-bit) Value and entering PreallocateVirtualMonitors as the name
  4. If the “PreallocateVirtualMonitors” REG_DWORD is present (or you just created it), double-click the entry and change “Value data” from 1 (its default value) to 0 (zero)

Virtual monitors will now allocate when you attempt to launch a Win32 application in Windows Mixed Reality instead of pre-allocating. To reset this and re-enable virtual monitor pre-allocation, return the DWORD “Value data” to 1.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/mixed-reality/enthusiast-guide/using-microsoft-edge#monitor-and-input-handling-issues

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My 2070 SUPER VR settings and suggestion (Reverb G2 - WMR)
#2

interesting is this why XPLANE 11 shows 3 virtual monitors??? hmmm…

#3

To clarify, is this only for WMR headset users or all headset users? Also, does it matter if you explicitly run Mixed Reality Portal or not? I am using an Oculus Rift S and I do not launch MRP before running FS2020, but I guess the Open XR still runs.

Can you tell I’m getting confused by all the various parts of the system? In short, do you think this suggested change can potentially benefit all VR users or just those using WMR headsets? :slight_smile:

#4

This definitely explains why in many instances I would lose windows and completely unable to make them visible. I have a multiple monitor setup and whenever WMR I see 3 additional monitors. Will try this.

#5

The title says it all: WMR

This concerns WMR only.

#6

I did a video on this a while back as it was doing my nut in

#7

OK. Thanks. Guess that was obvious. I was asking only because running my Rift S through Steam to play MSFS 2020 involves telling Open XR where to launch the Steam driver that then launches the Oculus driver that then runs through Open XR to ultimately interface with MSFS 2020. Given that the first headsets supported were WMR headsets, I thought there might be a WMR driver in there somewhere too. :slight_smile:

#8

[update]

#9

I’ve done this because folders on my desktop were disappearing when wmr was running.
Worked a treat but hasn’t helped my framerates sadly.

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#10

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