SteamVR 2.14+ no longer provides OpenXR tracker poses in "Standing by" (no HMD) mode

[LAIYANHOU]

Summary

After updating to SteamVR 2.14.x, Vive Tracker poses are no longer available via OpenXR
when SteamVR is in "Standing by" (no HMD worn) state.

This breaks the workflow described in this repository, which relies on
SteamVR + OpenXR providing tracker poses without an active HMD.

The same setup worked correctly in SteamVR 2.13.x and earlier.

---

Environment

• OS: Windows 10 / 11
• SteamVR:
  • Working: 2.13.x
  • Broken: 2.14.0+ (confirmed in 2.14.4)
• Runtime: SteamVR OpenXR
• Devices:
  • Vive Tracker (Ultimate / 3.0)
• API:
  • OpenXR
  • XR_HTCX_vive_tracker_interaction
  • (optionally XR_MND_headless)
• HMD state:
  • Not worn / SteamVR shows "Standing by"

---

Expected behavior (SteamVR ≤ 2.13)

• SteamVR shows Standing by
• Vive Trackers are connected and have assigned roles
• OpenXR app can successfully call:
  • xrSyncActions
  • xrLocateSpace
• XrSpaceLocation.locationFlags contains:
  • XR_SPACE_LOCATION_POSITION_VALID_BIT
• Tracker poses are available even without wearing the HMD

---

Actual behavior (SteamVR ≥ 2.14)

• SteamVR shows Standing by
• Vive Trackers are connected and roles are assigned correctly
• xrLocateSpace succeeds but always returns invalid location flags
• XR_SPACE_LOCATION_POSITION_VALID_BIT is never set
• No tracker poses are available until the HMD is worn and VR becomes active

This occurs even when:

• Using XR_MND_headless
• Using time = predictedDisplayTime or time = 0
• All OpenXR API calls succeed without errors

---

Notes

• This appears to be a runtime policy change, not an application error
• SteamVR UI still shows trackers as active, which is misleading
• The same code and hardware setup works immediately after downgrading to SteamVR 2.13.x
• OpenVR-based applications still receive tracker poses without an HMD

---

Impact

This breaks:

• Tracker-only workflows
• Motion capture setups
• Robotics / teleoperation systems
• Research systems that do not require an HMD

All of these previously worked with SteamVR + OpenXR without requiring the headset to be worn.

---

Question

Is this behavior change intentional in SteamVR 2.14+?

If so:

• Is there a supported way to obtain Vive Tracker poses via OpenXR
  without requiring an active HMD?
• Or is OpenVR now the only supported path for tracker-only use cases?

Clarification would be greatly appreciated.

[Xjiebao]

hello sir, I am currently using SteamVR version 2.14.4. I tried using headless mode, but all the tracker data is returning as zeros. Based on your analysis, I would like to roll back to version 2.13. Do you have a tutorial or guide on how to do this?

[LAIYANHOU]

hello sir, yes, this is how I roll back to previous version.

1. Open Steam
2. Go to Library → SteamVR
3. Click the Settings (gear) button
4. Properties → Betas
5. Select: previous – The previous branch, and restart SteamVR

However, on my system this only rolls back to SteamVR 2.12.14, not 2.13.x.
I think this is only a temporary workaround, because previous branch version may change in the future.

At the moment, I have not found a better long-term solution for
OpenXR + Vive Tracker + no HMD workflows on SteamVR 2.14+.

[Xjiebao]

Here is the comprehensive summary of the entire process in English, including the detailed preparation steps you requested.

Complete Guide: Rolling Back SteamVR (v2.14 \rightarrow v2.13)

Phase 1: Retrieve Manifest IDs (Preparation)

You need specific ID numbers to tell Steam exactly which version to download.

1. Visit SteamDB: Go to [SteamDB.info](https://steamdb.info/).
2. Search App ID: Search for 250820 (SteamVR).
3. Locate Depots: Click on the "Depots" tab on the left sidebar. You need the IDs for the two core components:

• OpenVR Win32 (Depot ID: 250821)
• OpenVR Content (Depot ID: 250824)

4. Find the Manifest IDs:

• Click on 250821, then click "Manifests" on the left.
• Find the release dated around November 11, 2025 (Version 2.13). Copy that Manifest ID.
• Go back and click on 250824, then click "Manifests".
• Find the release for the same date (Nov 11, 2025). Copy that Manifest ID as well.

Phase 2: Download via Steam Console

1. Open Console: Press Win + R, type steam://open/console, and hit Enter.
2. Execute Downloads: Type the following commands (replace [Manifest ID] with the numbers you found in Phase 1):

• For the binaries:
  download_depot 250820 250821 [Manifest ID]
• For the content:
  download_depot 250820 250824 [Manifest ID]

3. Wait: Wait for the console to display "Depot download complete" and show the file path.

Phase 3: Installation (The Merge)

1. Locate Target Folder: Go to your Steam Library \rightarrow Right-click SteamVR \rightarrow Manage \rightarrow Browse Local Files.
2. Clean Installation: Delete all files inside this SteamVR folder (or back them up) so it is empty.
3. Merge Files:

• Go to the download location of depot_250821 \rightarrow Copy all contents \rightarrow Paste into the SteamVR installation folder.
• Go to the download location of depot_250824 \rightarrow Copy all contents \rightarrow Paste into the same SteamVR installation folder.

Phase 4: Block Automatic Updates (Critical)

Steam will try to force an update immediately if not blocked.

1. ACF File Lock (Best Method):

• Navigate to ...\Steam\steamapps\ (one folder up from common).
• Find appmanifest_250820.acf.
• Right-click \rightarrow Properties \rightarrow Check "Read-only" \rightarrow Apply.

2. Launch: Run SteamVR directly via \bin\win64\vrstartup.exe to avoid triggering an update check.

[Xjiebao]

Hello sir, I followed the guidance to successfully roll back SteamVR to v2.13. However, I'm still face a same issue.

When I run my code, the check if self.context.session_state == xr.SessionState.FOCUSED: returns false. It seems the OpenXR session never enters the FOCUSED state.

SteamVR detects my trackers correctly, and the base stations have green lights. Does anyone know why the session state won't switch to FOCUSED?

[LAIYANHOU]

Hello sir, is it possible that some settings recover to default (.vrsetting file... etc) after rolling back?