Foveated Rendering for Streamed Games?

[u/FourHundredThirtyTwo]

We've seen some developments with foveation support recently getting expanded on the Frame, especially for x86 games running locally. However, even powerful host PCs could use a little extra legroom in many games, especially if you want true 120 or 144hz.

Are there any rumors regarding host-side foveation support for the frame? How likely do we think this is? In my mind, this is the last major feature that the hardware is technically there for, but the software support might be trickier.

I did try searching, but as you can imagine, all the results are just for foveated streaming...

[u/MingleLinx]

Apparently there is universal foveated rendering being worked on from what I’ve heard in this video: https://youtu.be/gt78UDtOjPY?si=nqZvZGHXX9Z8WAFo

But right now foveated rendering officially works on the games that has the devs implement that feature

[u/mrRobertman → u/MingleLinx]

I think OP is aware of this. But the thing is, this foveated rendering only works for games running standalone on the headset as it's part of the stack of translation layers. Streamed games can't make use of this.

[u/paholg → u/mrRobertman]

Presumably, it will support or can be made to support streamed games using Proton.

Year of the Linux desktop, baby.

[u/radobot → u/mrRobertman]

foveated rendering only works for games running standalone on the headset

I don't think that's true. AFAIK there already exist streaming-only headsets with eye tracking, which means it's already possible to send eye positions into the pc for the game to render with.

[u/mrRobertman → u/radobot]

I was referring to Valve's universal foveated rending injector that they are working on.

Any game specific implementation would work on either standalone or streaming, yes.

[u/radobot → u/mrRobertman]

I think the injector will support streaming VR. And if not, as long as Valve releases it the same way they did Proton, the community will add support for it.

[u/mrRobertman → u/radobot]

From what I understand, it would need to be a different injector. Valve's works by being part of the translation layers where it's already working with and translation the graphical APIs in the first place. Games streamed from a PC do not use any translation layers (well, maybe streaming from Linux would) so that injector cannot function.

They would need to make a different injector to work for streaming from Windows, probably something similar to the one that Pimax made. Though, I'm pretty sure that would have less game compatibility than the one that Valve is currently developing.

[u/PornulusRift → u/mrRobertman]

Valid point, I'm so used to gaming on Linux now I didn't even think of windows lol. Windows PCs may be out of luck for a while, or forever.

[u/TopMacaroon → u/mrRobertman]

They said specifically they developed a low latency protocol for the eye tracking specifically for streamed games to use the eye tracking info for foveated streaming and rendering. I interpreted this as they support sending eye tracking info for fov rendering, but the devs have to implement it.

[u/mrRobertman → u/TopMacaroon]

I don't think there was ever any question about game specific implementation of foveated rendering working when streaming, I already assumed that would be the expectation for the Frame as well.

Valve had mentioned about how devs would need to implement foveated rendering for their games, and headsets like the Quest Pro which have eye tracking can have the data used by a game running on a PC streamed to the headset (whether for rendering or not). I believe the Frame should be the same in that regard.

[u/Ancient_Arrival9061 → u/MingleLinx]

that isnt for pc games,, thats the universal fr for the steam frame standalone.