protonscr

[BUG] No Audio with Quest 3

steamvrclosed bug
ValveSoftware/SteamVR-for-Linux#861 · opened 2026-01-29 by pollux78 · updated 2026-03-27 · 6 comments · github
Ppollux78 2026-01-29 github

Describe the bug
Trying to use steamvr + steamlink with quest 3 the audio wont be streamed to the headset even tho i have it selected in the audio settings on KDE Plasma

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

  1. Use Steamvr beta 2.15.3
  2. Connect quest 3 with steamlink
  3. Notice that the audio most of the time wont be streamed to the headset

Expected behavior
For the audio to be streamed to headset everytime without problems.

System Information (please complete the following information):

Screenshots
If applicable, add screenshots to help explain your problem.

Additional context
I only was able to get the audio to stream properly once in the like 15 times i tried connecting with steamlink

Seems like i am able to get it but only when i launch a game or something, its completely random when it decides the audio should work.

MMooshPaw 2026-02-26 github

I've been toying with steam link and it seems that the pipewire nodes for mic and headphones aren't connected to anything, and therefore you get no audio

If you connect them manually with something like qpwgraph you can get audio from sources outside steamVR and mic input

Steam link has a really bad pipewire implementation and many things break around it

Ppollux78 2026-02-27 github

I've been toying with steam link and it seems that the pipewire nodes for mic and headphones aren't connected to anything, and therefore you get no audio

If you connect them manually with something like qpwgraph you can get audio from sources outside steamVR and mic input

Steam link has a really bad pipewire implementation and many things break around it

I bet we will see a big update for steam link and steamvr solving these problems because of the steam frame but we shall wait and see.

Ffounta 2026-03-11 github

Hello! I think I have the same issue, but with the Quest Pro. I am using SteamVR 2.15.4 (the beta) and the Steam beta client
I am also using CachyOS

When I start steam link, I see in my desktop that a new device has been created ("🥽 Meta Quest Pro (Steam Link)"). But when I select the device, nothing happens. Also, all pipewire CLI programs hang indefinitely when run after this point -- eg pw-dump will just stall forever. This happens for pipewire v1.6.1, v1.5.85, and v1.4.10 when they are running with default configurations.

I managed to catch the vrserver node just before pipewire stalls indefinitely:

  {
    "id": 79,
    "type": "PipeWire:Interface:Node",
    "version": 3,
    "permissions": [ "r", "w", "x", "m" ],
    "info": {
      "max-input-ports": 0,
      "max-output-ports": 129,
      "change-mask": [ "input-ports", "output-ports", "state", "props", "params" ],
      "n-input-ports": 0,
      "n-output-ports": 0,
      "state": "suspended",
      "error": null,
      "props": {
        "adapt.follower.spa-node": "",
        "audio.channels": 1,
        "audio.rate": 48000,
        "client.id": 76,
        "clock.quantum-limit": 8192,
        "device.icon-name": "network-wireless",
        "factory.id": 9,
        "library.name": "audioconvert/libspa-audioconvert",
        "media.category": "Capture",
        "media.class": "Audio/Source",
        "media.name": "vrlink_microphone",
        "media.role": "Communication",
        "media.software": "Steam Link",
        "media.type": "Audio",
        "node.autoconnect": true,
        "node.description": "🥽 Meta Quest Pro (Steam Link)",
        "node.loop.name": "data-loop.0",
        "node.name": "vrserver",
        "node.want-driver": true,
        "object.id": 79,
        "object.register": false,
        "object.serial": 522,
        "port.group": "stream.0",
        "steamvr.internal": true,
        "stream.is-live": true
      },
...
    "id": 80,
    "type": "PipeWire:Interface:Node",
    "version": 3,
    "permissions": [ "r", "w", "x", "m" ],
    "info": {
      "max-input-ports": 129,
      "max-output-ports": 0,
      "change-mask": [ "input-ports", "output-ports", "state", "props", "params" ],
      "n-input-ports": 0,
      "n-output-ports": 0,
      "state": "suspended",
      "error": null,
      "props": {
        "adapt.follower.spa-node": "",
        "audio.channels": 2,
        "audio.rate": 48000,
        "client.id": 76,
        "clock.quantum-limit": 8192,
        "device.icon-name": "network-wireless",
        "factory.id": 9,
        "library.name": "audioconvert/libspa-audioconvert",
        "media.category": "Playback",
        "media.class": "Audio/Sink",
        "media.name": "vrlink_output",
        "media.role": "Game",
        "media.software": "Steam Link",
        "media.type": "Audio",
        "node.autoconnect": true,
        "node.description": "🥽 Meta Quest Pro (Steam Link)",
        "node.loop.name": "data-loop.0",
        "node.name": "vrserver",
        "node.want-driver": true,
        "object.id": 80,
        "object.register": false,
        "object.serial": 523,
        "port.group": "stream.0",
        "steamvr.internal": true,
        "stream.is-live": true
      },

It seems strange that both devices were created with no ports

I do not see anything obvious in the pipewire logs indicating what is hanging up. For whatever reason, I see the vrserver node get created and then right after transition to the suspended state

Has anyone else run into this?

PPacketdancer 2026-03-26 github

If this is specific to pipewire, I feel like this and issue #873 are duplicates? If no one on this one has the issue without pipewire, I'll close this one out sometime soon and let folks gather over there.

(Yes, this is the older of the two, but #873 is much more active.)

Ppollux78 2026-03-26 github

Seems like the same issue, all goods to be moved over there :)

MMooshPaw 2026-03-26 github

Same here

Nothing extracted yet.