Getting Started with XRStream

Hello and welcome to XRStream!

This article will provide more in-depth information on what XRStream is and how to use it. 

Table of Contents

• Intro to XRStream
• Requirements
• Creating an Account
• Logging into your Account
• XRStream Dashboard
• XRCoins
• Storage
• Starting up your XRStream Computer
• Installing the XRStream App to your Headset
• Setting up your Computer for Streaming
• Connecting to your Computer
• Using XRStream
• Errors Starting your Computer
• Shutting down your Computer
• How to Receive Support
• How to Provide Feedback

Intro to XRStream

XRStream is a service that allows you to stream any of your SteamVR or Oculus PC VR games directly to your Quest or Quest 2. It works by giving you access to a cloud computer and using our technology to stream VR content directly to your headset. You don't need a computer yourself and you can get started in minutes!

You also have the option to add persistent storage to your computer. To add storage please visit our store and subscribe to Persistent Storage. Without storage you will have to reinstall all video games you installed onto your computer every time you start it up. 

Since you get an entire gaming computer, that's not all you can do! You can also use your computer for 2D gaming. You may use applications such as Parsec or any other software that you are legally allowed to use. You can use XRStream for gaming, work, or anything else you can imagine.

Requirements

To use XRStream, you will need to meet the following requirements:

• Less than 100ms ping to a Google Cloud datacenter.
  • You can test here. 50ms or less for best results
• 50Mbps download speed.
  • Test your connection speed here.
• You have a Wifi-6 (AX) or 5ghz (AC) wireless network with a minimum of 50mbps download speed (Test your speed here)
• A Steam account
• A Quest/Quest 2
• A device that can run SideQuest

If any of the above is not true, you will likely not be able to use XRStream

Creating an Account

You can create an account here.

After you create an account you will see the XRStream dashboard.

Logging into your Account

You can log into your account here.

After you log into your account you will see the XRStream dashboard.

XRStream Dashboard

After you login or sign up with XRStream you will see the dashboard. 

This page can be opened from your home computer (Windows/MacOS/Linux), your phone or your Quest's browser. Leaving or refreshing this page will have no effect on your XRStream computer. 

We will now go over key sections of the dashboard.

This is the panel you use to control your computer and check it's status. You can start it up or shut it down using the button. Notice how you first require a balance of 50 XRCoins or above to start it up. 

On the top right of the header you now have access to the account page where you can view and edit information about your account. You also can see your current balance. The plus symbol will take you to the XRStream store.

On the bottom of the dashboard you will see short instructions on how to quickly use XRStream. 

XRCoins

XRCoins are used to run your computer. They are consumed at a rate of 600 coins per hour and can be purchased here. For payments, we use Xsolla a payment service provider that is trusted by some of the biggest companies in the world. 

First login when you access the store. You will need to enter the email and password that you used to create your XRStream account.

Afterwards you will be able to purchase coins.

Storage

Storage will allow you to save any data you have on the persistent disk. You can add it to your account by purchasing the Persistent Storage subscription.

This subscription will make any data on the D drive save for your next session. Any files, games, or anything else will be saved and used the next time you start up your computer. 

Note: Storage can only be used in the region nearest to you. This is done to keep prices as low as possible and to save your data as quickly as possible. If a computer is not available in the region nearest to you then your data will not be used. If this happens you will first be notified before attempting to start up a computer in a different region. 

Starting up your XRStream Computer

Once you have a sufficient XRCoin balance you can start up a computer. You can expect a computer to be started in a little over a minute. If your area is particularly busy then it may take up to 3 minutes. 

After starting up a computer successfully, the panel should update to something like this. You can now see that the computer status is "On". The monitor button will take you to a view of the computer's desktop. There you can control your computer just as normal. 

You also have the IP, username, and password for your XRStream computer. The IP and password changes each time you start up a computer to ensure your account's security. With it you can use the Windows Remote Desktop Client. This is a powerful tool that provides the best RDP experience. It gives you amazing video and audio quality streamed to your Windows, Android, or iOS device. You can use it to play 2D games or to simply get better control of the desktop. To learn more you can visit the official windows documentation here.

Additionally, you can use other tools such as Parsec or Virtual Desktop.

Lastly, whenever you are ready, you can shutdown your computer. 

Controlling your Computer's Desktop

XRStream has a convenient and fast option to control your computer's desktop. After clicking on the monitor icon you will be directed to this page:

You will first see this screen as you attempt to connect to your computer. On the top left you can expand a menu button.

This menu gives you a few options:

1. Full Screen: Clicking this will make the desktop go full screen. Clicking it again will remove the full screen view.
2. Reconnect: If there is an issue with your connection you can click on the "Reconnect" button to reattempt connecting to your computer.
3. CtrlAltDel: This will send the Ctl + Alt + Del command to the computer.
4. Clipboard: This will open up a popup where you can input any text you want sent to your computers clipboard. 

Once you connect to your computer you will see a desktop and are able to control it as normal.

Note: Audio is currently not supported. This feature will be supported in the future. In the meantime you can use other tools such as the Windows RDP Client, Parsec, or Virtual Desktop.

Installing the XRStream app to your Headset

Getting the XRStream app on your Quest is very easy. First, you need SideQuest Installed onto a supported device. Visit here to view high quality resources that SideQuest created on how to install and use their application. 

Once you have SideQuest installed please visit the XRStream page and click "Download App". 

After installation you can now use the XRStream app. 

Setting up your Computer for Streaming

When you start up your computer SteamVR should automatically start up. SteamVR needs to be running in order for the XRStream app to connect to your computer. If SteamVR was shutdown, please turn it back on before attempting to use the app.

Connecting to your Computer

Now that you have the XRStream app installed you need to connect your VR headset to your account. 

1. Start up the XRStream app
   • Can't find the XRStream app? Click on the apps button on the main menu of your Quest headset. Once there, select the dropdown button on the top right. Scroll down and click on the "Unknown Sources" option.
2. Log in or sign up
   • You will be directed to the login screen. If you don't have an account you can instead sign up.
   • It is necessary to first login to pair your Quest headset to your account. After connecting your headset you should see this confirmation screen. If you didn't get this screen then please login or sign up again.
3. You are now ready to connect to your computer! Before starting up the app again, make sure that you have a computer running. If one is running then you can start up the app and begin streaming directly to your headset.

Using XRStream

At this point you should now be able to connect to your computer with your Meta Quest headset. You are able to download and stream any SteamVR game that you own. 

Whenever you are finished, please shutdown your computer from https://xrstream.co/dashboard. If you do not shutdown your computer then your coins will continue to be depleted. 

As discussed earlier, unless you have subscribed to Persistent Storage, your data on the computer will be wiped out once you shut it down. If you subscribe then you will be able to save up to 128GB of data on the D drive. 

Errors Starting your Computer 

Although they should be rare, errors may arise eventually. Please be patient with us as XRStream is still in early access.

If you are near one of our datacenters, but there are no computers available at the time you will get this message. This simply means that our cloud provider, Google Cloud, doesn't have computers with our specifications available in your area. This should only be a temporary issue, so please try again at another time. As we grow this issue should no longer appear. 

If there was an error in our server then you will get this message. This error should be rare, but if you do encounter it please reach out to our support email, support@xrstream.co, and we will fix it as soon as possible.

Shutting down your Computer

Once you are finished using XRStream you can press the Shutdown button on the dashboard. Shutting down the computer should be a fast process and doesn't require any other steps.

If you have storage for your account the process is a little different. When you shutdown the computer the process will take up to 30 minutes longer. This is due to your data being saved. The more data that needs to be saved the longer it will take. For example, if it is about half-full it will take roughly 15 minutes to shutdown.  We plan on making this process faster soon, but you do not have to be present during the shutdown process. 

Your coins will not be depleted during the shutdown process either. 

Once the shutdown process is complete your storage usage will be updated.

How to Receive Support

If you are experiencing an issue please spend some time troubleshooting the issue first before reaching out to us. We are a very small team so it will help us out greatly if you are able to resolve the issue yourself. As a first step you can review this article or simply restart your Quest headset, your personal computer, and the XRStream computer. We will be releasing an FAQ soon to answer common issues. 

If the issue still isn't resolved then you have a couple options to receive support. The best way is to send us an email to support@xrstream.co. When you email us please provide as much information about the issue as possible. Tell us what error messages you are seeing. Sending us screenshots of what you see will be extremely helpful. Alternatively, you can also join our discord server. There you can ask questions in one of our channels or simply discuss with other XRStream users.

How to Provide Feedback

We are actively improving the service so any and all feedback is extremely valuable to us. We will greatly appreciate if you take the time to report any issues you have or any feature requests. 

You can send us an email to support@xrstream.co. We will get back to you as quickly as possible.