alvr-org
Failed to create VAAPI encoder (previously working)
Description
Even after this error appears, the stream appears just fine in the headset and continues to work for a couple seconds, before SteamVR closes. (Quest 1)
I have not touched VR in a couple months (4-5), but it used to work without issues.
General Troubleshooting
- [x] I carefully followed the instructions in the README and successfully completed the setup wizard
- [x] I read the ALVR GitHub Wiki
Environment
Hardware
https://linux-hardware.org/?probe=6cd071662d
The site isn't loading for me atm, so here's an excerpt from Steam's "system information" tool
Computer Information:
Manufacturer: ASRock
Model: AB350M Pro4
Form Factor: Desktop
No Touch Input Detected
Processor Information:
CPU Vendor: AuthenticAMD
CPU Brand: AMD Ryzen 7 5700
CPU Family: 0x19
CPU Model: 0x50
CPU Stepping: 0x0
CPU Type: 0x0
Speed: 4654 MHz
16 logical processors
8 physical processors
Hyper-threading: Supported
FCMOV: Supported
SSE2: Supported
SSE3: Supported
SSSE3: Supported
SSE4a: Supported
SSE41: Supported
SSE42: Supported
AES: Supported
AVX: Supported
AVX2: Supported
AVX512F: Unsupported
AVX512PF: Unsupported
AVX512ER: Unsupported
AVX512CD: Unsupported
AVX512VNNI: Unsupported
SHA: Supported
CMPXCHG16B: Supported
LAHF/SAHF: Supported
PrefetchW: Unsupported
BMI1: Supported
BMI2: Supported
F16C: Supported
FMA: Supported
Operating System:
"NixOS 25.11 (Xantusia)" (64 bit)
Kernel Name: Linux
Kernel Version: 6.17.8-cachyos
X Server Vendor: The X.Org Foundation
X Server Release: 12401009
X Window Manager: KWin
Steam Runtime Version: steam-runtime_1.0.20250929.168578
Video Card:
Driver: AMD AMD Radeon RX 6600 (radeonsi, navi23, LLVM 21.1.2, DRM 3.64, 6.17.8-cachyos)
Driver Version: 4.6 (Compatibility Profile) Mesa 25.3.0
Desktop Color Depth: 24 bits per pixel
Monitor Refresh Rate: 143 Hz
VendorID: 0x1002
DeviceID: 0x67ef
Revision Not Detected
Number of Monitors: 2
Number of Logical Video Cards: 2
Primary Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Desktop Resolution: 3000 x 1920
Primary Display Size: 20.75" x 11.65" (23.78" diag), 52.7cm x 29.6cm (60.4cm diag)
Primary VRAM: 8192 MB
Sound card:
Audio device: ATI R6xx HDMI
Memory:
RAM: 31956 Mb
Installation
ALVR Version: 20.14.1
ALVR Settings File: I reset my settings as part of troubleshooting
SteamVR Version: tested on 2.14.3, beta 2.14.3, and "previous" 2.12.14
Install Type:
- [x] Packaged (
exe,deb,rpm, etc) - [ ] Portable (
zip) - [ ] Source
OS Name and Version: NixOS unstable
20.13.0 worked for me on NixOS 25.05 but 20.14.1 doesn't on 25.11/unstable (I also switched to cachy kernel so not sure if that's related).
Unless someone else can reproduce this issue, it may be isolated to Nix, in which case this should be a nixpkgs issue.
I have reproduced this issue, also on NixOS using the default kernel. This is my first time trying to run ALVR on NixOS, but if 20.13.0 ran ok, then it seems like a packaging issue rather than a general incompatibility.
i have the same issue which i described here https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/469740#issuecomment-3651879277
@wotikama are you also on NixOS?
Is anyone in this issue NOT on NixOS? I’m the package maintainer for ALVR there and I’m trying to figure out whether this issue is exclusive to NixOS or if it’s upstream
I can’t reproduce this on NVidia in NixOS
