SlimeVR #

SlimeVR is a set of open hardware sensors and open source software that facilitates full-body tracking (FBT) in virtual reality.

SlimeVR is an open source IMU based full body tracking system. Being open source it has Linux support and there are a few variants you can either buy or build yourself.

You can pre-order the official SlimeVR trackers from their crowdsupply page, but at the time of writing this if you order them right now you’d need to wait approximately 4 months for your orders to ship, due to the very high demand driven by low cost and good quality tracking compared to other solutions.

Assembling #

Alternatively you can build it on your own, and you have a few variants to choose from:

Official SlimeVR DIY builders guide
Frozen Slimes V2
- while a bit bigger, Frozen Slimes V2 tend to be cheaper and a lot easier to build, being approachable even for people that are inexperienced with soldering

It’s generally highly recommended to opt for the more expensive but higher quality BNO085 IMU module. This should offer the highest quality tracking with best precision and minimal drifting.

Installing SlimeVR Server #

Selecting your variant #

There are currently two ways to use SlimeVR:

Via SteamVR driver
Directly via VRChat OSC (Open Sound Control)

First method: SteamVR driver #

Download the SlimeVR driver for SteamVR, extract it and place the slimevr folder in the $HOME/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/drivers/ folder. This path may change depending on where your SteamVR install is located. To make sure you moved the right folder, make sure that the following path exists: $HOME/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/drivers/slimevr/bin/linux64/driver_slimevr.so.

Then you’ll need to register the driver using the following command.

Important: make sure to NOT run this command twice, adding a driver twice will cause problems.

$HOME/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/linux64/vrpathreg.sh adddriver $HOME/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/drivers/slimevr

Now the only thing you have to do is restart the SlimeVR server.

Second method: VRChat OSC #

This method is only available in VRChat.

It requires fewer steps to configure and allows the use of the full FOSS stack without using SteamVR. For now, it is less accurate due to OSC limitations. More information here.

Step 1: Tick the checkbox in SlimeVR settings -> VRChat OSC Trackers -> Enable

Configuration steps of VRChat OSC

Step 2: Start VRChat
Step 3: Go to the radial menu, and enable OSC:
Step 4: Calibrate your trackers via built-in SlimeVR configuration wizard (Mounting and body proportions)

How to enable OSC in Radial Menu

Step 5: Press the “Full Reset” button while standing straight

Full reset button in SlimeVR menu

Step 6: Go to VRChat settings and press “Calibrate FBT” in “Quick actions”.

“Calibrate FBT” button in VRChat Quick Actions menu

Step 7: T-pose yourself and submit your calibration via pressing triggers on both sides.

Done! From now on, you should be able to freely move your tracked limbs.