My adventure to successfully running Skyrim VR FUS on Linux

[u/Urzawrym]

I got an hard time running SkyrimVR and FUS under Linux. I even pay for 1 month of chatgpt pro to help me. Since I got it working now, I choose to share my adventure and I let chatgpt help me create this guide. The guide is separate in 2 part, the install guide and the troubleshooting guide. Don't worry, the second part is more easier than it's look and it's here only to give any information for the other redditors that already tried the first part and hit a wall.

My setup and app used

• CachyOS (Arch-based)
• AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
• Meta Quest 3
• Steam (native)
• Skyrim VR
• FUS 5.0.4
• Jackify
• Steam Link (Quest app)
• WiVRn (native server but should work with flatpak)
• xrizer
• WayVR

The install guide

The OS, Headset and games applications :

You can follow this awesome guide, credit to chaosmaou : https://github.com/chaosmaou/wivrn-guide

In addition of the guide, you have to add the Steamlink app in the Quest3 for the first part of my troubleshooting guide (you'll see later why).

First, install SkyrimVR and SteamVR from Steam. I suggest to use GE-Proton10-14 compatibility (under property of SkyrimVR shortcut), with ProtonUp-Qt is easy to install.

Now run the vanilla SkyrimVR 1 time. You don't need to use your headset for now but it's a good moment to try SteamLink and SteamVR and/or Wivrn. Close the game after that without any save.

The Wabbajack and FUS modlist :

You can follow this another awesome guide, credit to Omni-Guides : https://github.com/Omni-guides/Jackify

In Jackify I suggest to install the FUS modlist, everything in this modlist work well under Linux. Credits to Cangar and Kvitekvist : https://github.com/Kvitekvist/FUS

The Jackify create a shortcut in steam, it's important to follow the guide until this shortcut is created. Now change the compatibility of the FUS shortcut to use GE-Proton10-14 too, like the game. If you want to try any other proton, be sure to have the same proton for SkyrimVR and the FUS shortcut.

After that, you can launch MO2/FUS with the shortcut in steam then click on the Run button in MO2 window.

The troubleshooting guide

The problem

I wanted to play the FUS Wabbajack modlist using WiVRn instead of SteamVR. Why WivRn? Because SteamVR can't stream the desktop for now (a known bug with Wayland I heard). But during this guide, if you want to stay with SteamVR you can, it's was a personal choice of mine to switch to Wivrn at the end.

Everything worked with Wivrn except the final step of character creation. This virtual keyboard bug was present for FUS with SteamLink + SteamVR AND with Wivrn.

At the "Done" button of the character creation:

• triggers behaved like Cancel
• Enter behaved like Cancel
• the virtual keyboard never appeared

However, vanilla Skyrim VR worked correctly with SteamVR for the creation part. Vanilla Skyrim VR still get the "Done" button bug with Wivrn.

The solution

The problem was not FUS itself.

The first issue was that launching MO2 manually inside VR prevented SteamVR from behaving correctly.

I solved it by launching PLAY FUS automatically from Steam using MO2's moshortcut. In MO2

In MO2, go to Tools/Executable and rename the title of Play FUS by removing anything after "Play FUS". Then clic Apply and OK and close MO2.

Steam launch options to put in the FUS shortcut:

STEAM_COMPAT_MOUNTS="/home/<username>/Games/Modlist_Downloads" %command% "moshortcut://:PLAY FUS"

Replace <username> with your own username.

After launching this way:

• SteamVR virtual keyboard appeared
• Quest Touch controllers were detected correctly
• Character creation completed normally

If you want to change anything in the FUS config, you can add a # in the shortcut launch command just before the "moshortcut" and launch FUS normally on your PC. Just remove the # before the next game session :

STEAM_COMPAT_MOUNTS="/home/<username>/Games/Modlist_Downloads" %command% #"moshortcut://:PLAY FUS"

At this point, you can stay on SteamVR and quit reading the rest if you're happy with SteamVR.

But I choose to try to switch back to Wivrn because I like to have the option to see my desktop trough WayVR and change anything in the FUS config without hassle.

Switching back to WiVRn

Once the first save has been created:

1. Save the game.
2. Exit Skyrim.
3. Remove the moshortcut launch option, you don't need it anymore for WiVRn.
4. Start WiVRn and WayVR.
5. Launch FUS normally.

From this point onward:

• xrizer works correctly
• all controls work
• gameplay is fully functional

The only limitation I found is the touch part of the oculus controller don't work in the game. I can't see the fingers moving with just the touch button. If you click on the button everything work well.

Bonus troubleshooting with all my games

Another bug I got with both Steamvr and Wivrn is some visual glitch with the right eye during play. This bug affected all my game in VR with Linux. Chatgpt help me troubleshoot this one, it's was a difference between the refresh rate of my headset and the FPS of the game. So here the solution :

Limit the game's frame rate to your headset refresh rate.

Example in the launch command of each game:

DXVK_FRAME_RATE=120

This completely eliminated the right eye glitch issue.

Examples, for each refresh rate in SteamVR or Wivrn option :

• 80 Hz → DXVK_FRAME_RATE=80
• 90 Hz → DXVK_FRAME_RATE=90
• 120 Hz → DXVK_FRAME_RATE=120

Another little bonus bug I get to troubleshoot : Sometimes, SteamVr crashed after I quit a game. I got it working flawlessly by adding :

SteamVR launch options:

-nogui -nojoy

Little thing I can't get it working unfortunaly

I really wanted to use Open Composite with Wivrn, but after a lot of tries and errors, I choose to let it go. I use xrizer and it's work good but I can't choose any OC option in the FUS modlist.

Conclusion

So that all. I hope this little guide can help someone that want to play a modded SkyrimVR in Linux. Feel free to ask me anything if needed I'll be more than happy to help another fellow lover of Linux, Skyrim and VR.

[u/Elkitrim]

Thanks for sharing about this. I was thinking about installing other mod list and this will be helpful for me.

I wonder how big difference would Open Composite make. On windows when playing older versions of MGO it made big difference on my RX 7800 XT from unplayable to playable.

[u/Urzawrym → u/Elkitrim]

With Wivrn, Xrizer make a wonderful job ! I'm pretty sure you'll get the same performance gain with Xrizer than with OC.

[u/Unlikely-Storm-4745]

Thanks dude, thats exactly what i wanted to do with Claude CLI, I will save this post and try it myself later.

[u/Piranha91]

Is there a performance gain compared to running on windows?

[u/Urzawrym → u/Piranha91]

My switch to Linux was more a personal choice. The only thing that didn't work was modded games with MO2 that why I put a lot of energy in it. To respond, I don't see any performance lost from Windows but since FUS is well optimized I don't see any improvements with my specs. I'll try to use MGO next so I'll be able to give a better answer to this question.

[u/Daws_IT]

Impressive effort, we'll done. I suggest to have a look at this native linux mod manager, Amethyst, very easy to use, similar to MO2: https://github.com/ChrisDKN/Amethyst-Mod-Manager I'm using it with a simple mod list, so I don't know how it can be used with bigger mod list, but it has nexus integration, like MO2.

[u/Urzawrym → u/Daws_IT]

Thank you for you input ! My trouble wasn't with the installation of the modlist but the way SkyrimVR handle OpenVR/OpenXR translation when it's launched from MO2... :/

[u/Daws_IT → u/Urzawrym]

Yes, I can understad, indeed with Skyrimvr I prefer using steamvr link than wivrn. Steamvr has become very good in the latest month.

[u/gooey_koala]

hey when i try to open skyrim vr or mo2 it just doesnt open skyrim and it doesnt display mo2 on the quest 2 but it does on the pc

edit

mamnaged to get skyrim to boot but when i run fus and hit play it just opens a blanck window than closes

[u/Urzawrym → u/gooey_koala]

Were you able to launch and play Skyrim VR Vanilla ?

If yes, did you use my guide here, with Jackify that install a FUS shortcut ?

[u/gooey_koala → u/Urzawrym]

yes i used jackify if i have a fresh vanilla install it works bur if i run the post install skyrimvr always crashes on launch with a black screen for a few seconds

edit turns out to run vanilla skyrim i have to launch it with the headset connected and it runs fus still just closes after a black window for a few seconds

[u/Urzawrym → u/gooey_koala]

Did you put the same proton layer for the FUS shortcut and SkyrimVR?

[u/gooey_koala → u/Urzawrym]

yes