Oculus Platform Updates Minimum and Recommended Spec OS to Windows 10

[DooKey]

The entire Oculus platform now requires Windows 10 if you want to take full advantage of all the features and content they provide. They say this is required because Microsoft is reducing support for earlier operating systems and Windows 10 provides a better platform for them. Their new Rift Core 2.0 is currently in opt-in beta and requires Windows 10 to operate with full functionality so once it goes to final release you need to upgrade Windows or stick with the old platform and miss out on some neat stuff.

Rift owners whose PCs aren’t running Windows 10 may find their systems are incompatible with some new apps and games. You’ll still be able to get the same VR features and functions you have today, including things like responding to platform notifications, interacting with friends on the platform, managing your device, and running VR apps that don’t require Windows 10.

 

[lostin3d]

Makes sense. By no means should anyone think that I'm a W10 fanboy but for over 10 years now the only real way to gain access the all the new features of the next API's are through OS changes. Vistas>8>8.1>10. I wouldn't have done any of them if not for the DX changes. Granted 12 is still mostly unused but I can imagine how VR/AR might gain something with 10.

edit:

Not to mention how MS is slowly pushing 7 to the side.

 

[TheOne&OnlyZeke]

Someone spot me an Oculus so I can compare the feature set in Win7 and Win10
item will be non returnable

 

[heatlesssun]

Not to mention how MS is slowly pushing 7 to the side.

I think a lot of people are forgetting that Windows 7 is in its extended support timeframe, mainstream support ended over 3 years ago. By design support degrades once the product is out of mainstream support and it's been that way forever now. I'm pretty sure that the large majority of VR users are already on 10.

 

[Accursed]

I worry about that, that most VR support is done with W10 in mind. I still use W7Ult on my game rig, and have a Vive Pro and a 1080ti.

Often times there are things that go weird and I gotta reboot to get things to normal. I'm left wondering if these things wouldn't happen if I where in Win10.

Plan to run Win7 as long as I can.

 

[raz-0]

At some point, being concerned about windows 7 support will be like bitching that the latest hardware doesn't support BeOS.

Sometimes you have to accept that that old shit is done and gone, and you have to move on to a new product. Or at least accept that your hardware and software choices are frozen in time while the world moves on, like your choice of OS.

 

[Compddd]

I worry about that, that most VR support is done with W10 in mind. I still use W7Ult on my game rig, and have a Vive Pro and a 1080ti.

Often times there are things that go weird and I gotta reboot to get things to normal. I'm left wondering if these things wouldn't happen if I where in Win10.

Plan to run Win7 as long as I can.

Sup grandpa

 

[Chebsy]

Naughty Microsoft !! Another reason to switch to windows 10 if you haven't already.

 

[Hagrid]

I worry about that, that most VR support is done with W10 in mind. I still use W7Ult on my game rig, and have a Vive Pro and a 1080ti.

Often times there are things that go weird and I gotta reboot to get things to normal. I'm left wondering if these things wouldn't happen if I where in Win10.

Plan to run Win7 as long as I can.

That is the plan and why you have problems. Win 10 is a POS, IMO, but made bearable with classic shell and the bat file to get rid of the spyware, virus's and other crap.
I made it so it behaves and looks like 7. Will you see a difference? Yes, since they are making games not work with anything but 10. Will you see any other difference? No. DX12 is pretty non-existent.

 

[heatlesssun]

That is the plan and why you have problems.

The plan always goes along the lines that people tend to couple the latest and greatest hardware with current versions of an OS. This is no different than it's ever been.

I made it so it behaves and looks like 7. Will you see a difference? Yes, since they are making games not work with anything but 10. Will you see any other difference? No. DX12 is pretty non-existent.

I think sometimes people get so caught up whatever that simple stuff gets missed. Windows 10 is constantly being updated to support the latest and greatest while Windows 7/8.1 are essentially mothballed.

 

[Hagrid]

The plan always goes along the lines that people tend to couple the latest and greatest hardware with current versions of an OS. This is no different than it's ever been.



I think sometimes people get so caught up whatever that simple stuff gets missed. Windows 10 is constantly being updated to support the latest and greatest while Windows 7/8.1 are essentially mothballed.

But the difference between 7 and 10 are nil, none, zero when playing the Rift. My Rift worked great on 7 and I had no problem, except the games that they made 10 only. So yes, MS had a hard time giving the OS away and
now they will force you to if you want to play certain games, which will be more and more.
Latest and greatest of what? 7 played everything just fine. Now if you mean the latest and greatest of spyware and messing with your settings, etc then yes, it is great at that. Usability nothing has changed except the forcing of the OS.
I just want to play my Rift, I don't care what OS!

 

[SPARTAN VI]

Just booted up my Rift for the first time and was greeted with the beta interface. Pretty swank. My poor pops is stuck with his Rift in Windows 7 for the time being...

 

[Accursed]

Sup grandpa

Sup kid

 

[Exavior]

Fuck developers for not making new games run on the Atari 2600.

I keep forgetting that the 2.0 interface is a beta and not the normal interface. Day 1 I got the rift I connected it to steam and was shocked at the difference between interfaces. Then realized a similar interface was possible on the rift if I checked a button. I thought though that became the default already at some point as that has been in beta for a long time and is rock solid.

 

[Hagrid]

Fuck developers for not making new games run on the Atari 2600.

I keep forgetting that the 2.0 interface is a beta and not the normal interface. Day 1 I got the rift I connected it to steam and was shocked at the difference between interfaces. Then realized a similar interface was possible on the rift if I checked a button. I thought though that became the default already at some point as that has been in beta for a long time and is rock solid.

Atari 2600? Not even a comparison.

 

[heatlesssun]

But the difference between 7 and 10 are nil, none, zero when playing the Rift. My Rift worked great on 7 and I had no problem, except the games that they made 10 only. So yes, MS had a hard time giving the OS away and
now they will force you to if you want to play certain games, which will be more and more.
Latest and greatest of what? 7 played everything just fine. Now if you mean the latest and greatest of spyware and messing with your settings, etc then yes, it is great at that. Usability nothing has changed except the forcing of the OS.
I just want to play my Rift, I don't care what OS!

First of all, they didn't just stop supporting Windows 7/8.1. The Rift and Vive came out over two years ago, Windows 10 wasn't even a year old and most gamers were still on Windows 7. And here's the situation today:

Windows 10 is now the minimum and recommended operating system spec for Rift. With most active Rift owners (95%) running Windows 10, this ensures we’re focused on delivering the latest advancements to the highest number of people possible.

If 95% of Rift users are already on Windows 10 it makes perfect sense for them and developers to concentrate their efforts on 10. That's what anyone would do.

 

[Accursed]

If 95% of Rift users are already on Windows 10 it makes perfect sense for them and developers to concentrate their efforts on 10. That's what anyone would do.

I wonder what the % is for the Vive? Filthy casual Rift users....

 

[Hagrid]

First of all, they didn't just stop supporting Windows 7/8.1. The Rift and Vive came out over two years ago, Windows 10 wasn't even a year old and most gamers were still on Windows 7. And here's the situation today:


If 95% of Rift users are already on Windows 10 it makes perfect sense for them and developers to concentrate their efforts on 10. That's what anyone would do.

I don't think you understand but 7 and 10, it makes no difference to the Rift. If the game uses DX12, then yes, otherwise it does not know the difference.
95% because they were forced to to play games that would of worked fine on 7. But sure.

 

[heatlesssun]

I don't think you understand but 7 and 10, it makes no difference to the Rift.

The point of this thread is that now it does. That's perfectly normal. Support for old operation systems degrade over time, it's ALWAYS been this way.

 

[heatlesssun]

I wonder what the % is for the Vive? Filthy casual Rift users....

I'm guessing it's in the same ball park. It's natural for PC gamers to couple the latest and greatest hardware with the latest version of Windows.

 

[Hagrid]

The point of this thread is that now it does. That's perfectly normal. Support for old operation systems degrade over time, it's ALWAYS been this way.

I meant as an OS. Unless the game is DX12, the game does a check to see what OS, it it's anything but 10, it won't play. If you can trick the game into thinking it was running on 10, I bet the game would play fine.

 

[Hagrid]

Maybe they plan on DX12 games coming out? Does DX12 actually have better performance that would help the Rift or any VR device?

 

[katanaD]

i never got a chance to play with my rift. bought it way over a year ago, almost 2 now. tried to install the drivers on my old system a dual quad core xeon system.. that was OLD, and the drivers gave me the finger. Finally got a new system this year, drivers install.. stepping through setting things up.. and.. cant detect some of the components, busted. LOL

oh well. Now i will be waiting for the new nvidia card to come out.. and then will probably pick up a vive, what ever the current model is at that time.

still want my lawn mower man level of VR setup to happen.. or a holodeck

 

[heatlesssun]

I meant as an OS. Unless the game is DX12, the game does a check to see what OS, it it's anything but 10, it won't play. If you can trick the game into thinking it was running on 10, I bet the game would play fine.

Rift owners whose PCs aren’t running Windows 10 may find their systems are incompatible with some new apps and games. You’ll still be able to get the same VR features and functions you have today, including things like responding to platform notifications, interacting with friends on the platform, managing your device, and running VR apps that don’t require Windows 10. You can still use Windows 7 and Windows 8 with most of Rift Core 2.0’s core functionality, but things like Oculus Desktop require Windows 10, as does the ability to run Dash as an overlay.

I honestly don't know what's surprising or upsetting about this especially when 95% of Rift users according to Oculus are already on Windows 10.

 

[DPI]

Good thing I've got a Vive then. Not going anywhere near 10 until Microsoft provides a telemetry opt out switch, and a way to limit forced updates to security patches while ignoring the bloatware nonsense features.

Fortunately, 8.1 with StartIsBack still plays 100% of my Steam and VR games, without W10's headaches of force rebooting while I've got work open, or reinstalling the whole OS every six months and resetting everything back to MS defaults.

 

[tetris42]

It's understandable support is going to dry up for 7, it's only going to get older. If only there was a successor to Windows 7 that didn't molest my system settings.

 

[andrewaggb]

Makes sense in that windows 7 is getting pretty old now. Does oculus support/use any of the windows mixed reality stuff requires that requires Windows 10 fall creators update?

From wikipedia:

General availability
October 22, 2009; 8 years ago

Mainstream support ended on January 13, 2015.
Extended support ends on January 14, 2020.
Installing Service Pack 1 is required for users to receive updates and support after April 9, 2013

 

[Hagrid]

Makes sense in that windows 7 is getting pretty old now. Does oculus support/use any of the windows mixed reality stuff requires that requires Windows 10 fall creators update?

From wikipedia:

General availability
October 22, 2009; 8 years ago

Mainstream support ended on January 13, 2015.
Extended support ends on January 14, 2020.
Installing Service Pack 1 is required for users to receive updates and support after April 9, 2013

Not sure on that. I doubt it since the only difference between 7 and 10 far as the Rift goes is possibly DX12. Otherwise all 10 only games would play just fine on 7 if you trick the OS check into thinking it was 10.(Unless somebody can link something that is in 10 that would not work in 7)

 

[Shmee]

Makes sense in that windows 7 is getting pretty old now. Does oculus support/use any of the windows mixed reality stuff requires that requires Windows 10 fall creators update?

From wikipedia:

General availability
October 22, 2009; 8 years ago

Mainstream support ended on January 13, 2015.
Extended support ends on January 14, 2020.
Installing Service Pack 1 is required for users to receive updates and support after April 9, 2013

I don't think it supports the Mixed Reality stuff now, but I wouldn't be surprised to see them add it after this move.

 

[Decibel]

I don't think you understand but 7 and 10, it makes no difference to the Rift. If the game uses DX12, then yes, otherwise it does not know the difference.
95% because they were forced to to play games that would of worked fine on 7. But sure.

If it makes no difference, then why under the old minimum specs on Win7 you needed a 1060 and Win10 you could get by with a 1050ti? There is obviously something fundamental under the hood that they've been able to leverage.

 

[Deleted member 93354]

To be honest mGPU is only available in DX12 and that is only available on Windows 10.

So why worry about mGPU? In this case it's easier to implement for two indepdent viewports (left eye right eye) than tranditional SLI and will lead to greater performance benefits as two view ports (Viewing frustrums) have to be rendered any way.

Headset resolutions are going to scale MUCH faster than the GPU GFLOP power.

 

[Hagrid]

If it makes no difference, then why under the old minimum specs on Win7 you needed a 1060 and Win10 you could get by with a 1050ti? There is obviously something fundamental under the hood that they've been able to leverage.

You have a link for what is different or is it MS forcing 10 down on people?

Like I said, my Rift played just fine on 7. If there is a difference I am all ears!

 

[Lakados]

I don't think you understand but 7 and 10, it makes no difference to the Rift. If the game uses DX12, then yes, otherwise it does not know the difference.
95% because they were forced to to play games that would of worked fine on 7. But sure.

That's not at all true, windows 10 has a lot of core API calls that differ from windows 7 specifically around audio and video output, Just look at the WDDM changes between 1.1 (windows 7) and the current 2.4 for windows 10, there are also huge changes in spacial audio. From what I can tell the rift 2.0 takes advantage of the updates to Microsoft's Sonic API's as well. Anyways there are huge differences between windows 7 and 10 in a number of ways ranging from complete feature sets to advances in CPU scheduling and memory management. Looking from the bottom up at the two OS's they aren't comparable.

 

[Hagrid]

That's not at all true, windows 10 has a lot of core API calls that differ from windows 7 specifically around audio and video output, Just look at the WDDM changes between 1.1 (windows 7) and the current 2.4 for windows 10, there are also huge changes in spacial audio. From what I can tell the rift 2.0 takes advantage of the updates to Microsoft's Sonic API's as well. Anyways there are huge differences between windows 7 and 10 in a number of ways ranging from complete feature sets to advances in CPU scheduling and memory management. Looking from the bottom up at the two OS's they aren't comparable.

I was referring to the Rift actually working which the cpu scheduling and other stuff mean nothing. Now the audio part of it, that could be a big reason. I can see where audio would be different in VR than a 2D environment. Thanks! A good answer!

 

[heatlesssun]

Like I said, my Rift played just fine on 7. If there is a difference I am all ears!

It still does. Why is so difficult to believe that there are new capabilities in 10 that aren't in a nearly ten year old OS? For instance Oculus is saying for instance that the Dash overlay stuff simply doesn't work well in 7/8.1, 10 allows for the overlay to run with the necessary performance: https://developer.oculus.com/documentation/pcsdk/latest/concepts/dg-dash/. There's nothing new or shocking or nefarious about this. As older OSes age out and newer ones are actively developed, things diverge over time.

 

[heatlesssun]

Good thing I've got a Vive then. Not going anywhere near 10 until Microsoft provides a telemetry opt out switch, and a way to limit forced updates to security patches while ignoring the bloatware nonsense features.

Fortunately, 8.1 with StartIsBack still plays 100% of my Steam and VR games, without W10's headaches of force rebooting while I've got work open, or reinstalling the whole OS every six months and resetting everything back to MS defaults.

It's just a matter of time before the Vive as well begins to degrade support for 7/8.1 especially if the user base is in the same 95% Windows 10 range as the Rift which I'm guessing it is. Nothing nefarious or devious about degrading support for older OSes especially if virtually all your users are using the latest version.

 

[Hagrid]

It still does. Why is so difficult to believe that there are new capabilities in 10 that aren't in a nearly ten year old OS? For instance Oculus is saying for instance that the Dash overlay stuff simply doesn't work well in 7/8.1, 10 allows for the overlay to run with the necessary performance: https://developer.oculus.com/documentation/pcsdk/latest/concepts/dg-dash/. There's nothing new or shocking or nefarious about this. As older OSes age out and newer ones are actively developed, things diverge over time.

Lakados gave me an answer that was good. No offense but I can never take any advise on 10 from you. I like people who are not biased one way or the other and have real answers.

 

[DPI]

It's just a matter of time before the Vive as well begins to degrade support for 7/8.1 especially if the user base is in the same 95% Windows 10 range as the Rift which I'm guessing it is. Nothing nefarious or devious about degrading support for older OSes especially if virtually all your users are using the latest version.

Keep dreaming. Valve/HMD aren't that financially idiotic to alienate the userbase sticking to 7 and 8.1 until MS pulls their heads out on 10.

Truth is there is no actual *need* for Windows 10 other than a very rare requiment for DX12 on a slim list of games (a few mediocre Windows 10 store titles)

Oculus isn't actually dropping support for 7 and 8.1 if you read the full press release, the "95% of our users are on 10" is also complete bullshit but I understand why they're claiming it. The amount of pushback they're already getting is proof of that. They'll adjust and find a happy medium that satisfies their customers.

As it stands now, all that's different in their unreleased/beta Dash software that only applies to 10, is one minor desktop overlay feature - that's literally it. Way too soon to be masturbating violently that VR somehow needs W10.

 

[heatlesssun]

Lakados gave me an answer that was good. No offense but I can never take any advise on 10 from you. I like people who are not biased one way or the other and have real answers.

Not exactly sure what your perceived bias has to do with what Oculus is saying on it's dev blog about Dash and why it's 10 only.

 

[heatlesssun]

Keep dreaming. Valve/HMD aren't that financially idiotic to alienate the userbase sticking to 7 and 8.1 until MS pulls their heads out on 10.

If the user base for Steam VR is already 95% Windows 10 then the rational financial decision would be to support those users above the much smaller user base of 7/8.1 especially with 7 having only 18 months of extended support left and Windows 8.1 probably just a fraction of Windows 7 users.

Truth is there is no actual *need* for Windows 10 other than a very rare requiment for DX12 for the very slim list of software (a few window 10 store titles) that needs it.

And yet Oculus is saying that there is when it comes to their Dash and Virtual Desktop features for the Rift.

It's one thing to call me a Windows shill but when people start to completely disregard what a developer is saying about technical aspects of their products without ANY in-depth technical knowledge of that product or any specific technical argument to contrary that's not helpful or informative.