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this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2026
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I started up Steam VR with my Vive a week ago, for the first time since installing Mint. Spent forever trying to get it to work. Eventually got it to connect sometimes when I start Mint in “software rendering” mode. I’m not linux literate enough to know what that means, but man do I see some fun new ways the OS breaks. Usually right after I turn off my headset, so it’s OK.
Try this, under the Ubuntu section: https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/18A4-1E10-8A94-3DDA
Software rendering is slower than hardware rendering, this is certainly not a Linux exclusive.
You’re essentially telling it “Hey! I have no graphical processor or that my graphical processor is so underpowered that I need my CPU to do the rendering at an attempt to speed things up.”
Suggest you sort out your GPU and or GPU drivers because you should not be using software rendering.
I think in this specific context software rendering actually means that SteamVR is having to coordinate with the window manger or whatever to draw the game to the headset's screens rather than rendering directly to them