A solitary Microsoft employee has made waves in the virtual reality community by releasing an unofficial SteamVR driver for Windows Mixed Reality (MR) headsets, aptly named Oasis. This innovative driver re-establishes compatibility for these headsets on Windows 11, a significant development considering that Microsoft had previously phased out support for Windows MR with the rollout of Windows 11 24H2. As a result, users of Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung PC VR headsets found themselves unable to utilize their devices, even on Steam, due to the absence of the necessary runtime.
The Vision Behind Oasis
Matthieu Bucchianeri, the mastermind behind Oasis, has a rich background in software development, having contributed to notable projects such as the PS4 and original PlayStation VR at Sony, as well as the Falcon 9 and Dragon missions at SpaceX. At Microsoft, he has worked on HoloLens and Windows MR, and is currently focused on Xbox. His extensive experience also includes contributions to OpenXR, along with the development of the OpenXR Toolkit and VDXR, Virtual Desktop’s OpenXR runtime. Bucchianeri has been a vocal critic of Meta’s previous OpenXR strategy, showcasing his commitment to advancing VR technology.
The name “Oasis” holds significance, as it was the internal codename for Windows MR at Microsoft. Bucchianeri describes the creation of this driver as a blend of “deep reverse-engineering” and a stroke of “luck and perseverance.” While he asserts that his work does not infringe on intellectual property laws, he has opted not to release the source code to avoid potential breaches of non-disclosure agreements and other obligations.
Features and Functionality
The Oasis driver boasts a comprehensive suite of features, including:
- Full support for headset tracking and controller tracking
- Haptics, buttons, triggers, and sticks functionality
- Battery state monitoring
- Basic monoscopic camera passthrough
- IPD value relay for Reverb and Samsung Odyssey headsets
- Eye tracking support for HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition
However, it is important to note that Bluetooth functionality is not supported within the driver itself. Users will need to utilize their PC’s Bluetooth capabilities, such as a USB or PCI-E Bluetooth adapter, to connect their devices.
Don Hopper from UploadVR has tested Oasis with his HP Reverb G2 headset, successfully transforming what was once a non-functional device into a fully operational PC VR headset.
Availability and Limitations
The Oasis Driver for Windows Mixed Reality is available for free on Steam. Users are encouraged to consult the detailed installation and setup instructions on GitHub, which outline the process for pairing controllers via Bluetooth and unlocking both the headset and controllers prior to use. However, a notable limitation of the Oasis driver is its exclusive support for Nvidia graphics cards; users with AMD or Intel GPUs will not be able to utilize the driver.
“I have provided AMD with all the technical details that they need in order to make Oasis work on AMD graphics cards. It is their choice to support/not support this project and to support/not support their VR customers who have bought their graphics card. Redirect your questions/complaints/thoughts to them, because there is nothing I can do about it.”
This sentiment echoes a similar situation with Intel’s “Direct Mode,” where access would need to be granted by the company for compatibility to be achieved.
