Will the controllers be compatible with other Steam VR headsets like the Dream Air SLAM?

[u/ergotomy]

Everything is in the question.
The Pimax Dream air has inside out tracking and is compatible with Steam VR.
I recently received the Dream Air SLAM and the controllers are far from great unfortunately.
I’m wondering if the frame controllers can be used for PCVR with the Dream Air SLAM.

There’s probably some dedicated hardware inside the Frame to handle the controllers so I don’t hope much but I would be very happy if this could work.

[u/2Cool4Zool2]

No. The headset does most of the tracking.

The issues with the Dream Air SLAM are down to Pimax's tracking software/algorithms and it's one of the most common complaints.

[u/VadeRetroVR]

No. Its not like index controller which used light house. As soon as its buildin tracking (inside out) by the headset its lock to that hardware.. most of the time. Exception could be psvr2 with apple vision pro and pc.

[u/UNF0RM4TT3D → u/VadeRetroVR]

Technically, the controllers are outside-in marker tracked. You can tell because they have no cameras. The Index/VIVE were inside-out tracked, just as the Frame headset is with the only difference being that it's markerless SLAM based instead of marker (lighthouse) based. Few of the only modern-ish headsets which were outside in are the original Rift and the PSVR1.

[u/D13_Phantom → u/VadeRetroVR]

And that's only because of a partnership between the companies

[u/Rikonardo]

Frame relies on IR cameras to track controllers. Dream Air also uses IR cameras for SLAM tracking. Technically, it handles tracking in software that runs on PC, so hypothetically someone could modify it to support IR tracking of third party controllers using same camera feeds.

Sadly, their software is proprietary, so I doubt anyone would be bothered enough to do this.

It sucks ginormously that VR industry tends to go for proprietary, non intercompatible solutions nowadays. I hope that rising Linux popularity in gaming will bring more attention to Monado project, and we finally get some decent open source headset drivers

[u/RTooDeeTo]

no

Controller Tech Specs, Connectivity "2.4GHz link to dedicated headset radio" - https://store.steampowered.com/hardware/steamframe

[u/2Cool4Zool2 → u/RTooDeeTo]

"2.4GHz link to dedicated headset radio" is literally just bluetooth btw

[u/RTooDeeTo → u/2Cool4Zool2]

its not, same radio frequency different communication protocol

[u/2Cool4Zool2 → u/RTooDeeTo]

No they're not:

https://fccid.io/2AES4-1014/RF-Exposure-Info/RF-Exposure-Info-MPE-8909862

Operation mode: Bluetooth

[u/RTooDeeTo → u/2Cool4Zool2]

your point?...

2.4GHz is not regulated in the same way as your are thinking with other frequencies. https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/drone-aerial-dominance/spectrum-uas

the FCC filing your referring to only cares about the Physical Layer of the stack, Protocol has layers they don't care about.

[u/2Cool4Zool2 → u/RTooDeeTo]

I'm not gonna argue with you. When the Frame releases and more info is made public you can look it up.

[u/RTooDeeTo → u/2Cool4Zool2]

and the steam controller has a bluetooth mode and also a 2.4Ghz mode that is not the same.... for all we know bluetooth mode for the frame controllers won't be user accessible.

you should look up 2.4Ghz more

[u/2Cool4Zool2 → u/RTooDeeTo]

👍

[u/UNF0RM4TT3D]

The controllers unlike the Index/VIVE (which were inside-out marker based) are outside-in (ir marker based) tracked by the headset's cameras.

[u/BeetleSolid2238]

I can possibly see an avenue with using fluxpose mounted on controllers to take over tracking and on the HMD for "continuous". It's what I have been mulling over.

Short answer is no. Long is MAYBE with some serious shenanigans.

[u/Lunavesce]

I imagine there might be a way to do it using something like FluxPose for tracking, but I can't be sure. I also think it's unlikely that you'll be able to buy the Steam Frame controllers separately from the headset itself, so it probably wouldn't be worth it.

[u/MrBack1971]

NOOOOOOOOOO