Changelog

Software > Somnium VR1 Tool > Changelog

1.2.1.56

July 2nd, 2026
  • Updated Somnium OpenXR Runtime to 1.4.1.  
    • Fix alpha layer rendering in some Unity based applications (BeatSaber). 
    • Fix occasional issue with MR position not updating correctly (Falcon BMS). 
  • Somnium VR1 Tool UI changes:  
    • Added Automatic Status Check option to SteamVR Driver section on Settings – Software – Drivers page. 
      • When this option is disabled, SteamVR driver will not be checked automatically with each Tool start and will report Version Unknown status. Manual status check will still be available on Settings – Software – Drivers page. 
  • Known issues:
    • 120 Hz might cause image artifacts on some PC setups, so this mode is still considered experimental. 
    • Spacewarp functionality is currently experimental and may not work correctly on all PC/software setups. 
    • MSFS 2024 – Switching between desktop and VR mode repeatedly can cause drop in performance/FPS. If this issue occurs, we recommend restarting MSFS 2024. 
  • Notes:
    • This is a hotfix patch for version 1.2.0.
    • This version was also released in Standalone edition as version 1.2.1.173.

1.2.0.53

June 30th, 2026
  • Updated Somnium Service to 3.1.0.
    • Added support for 3DoF IMU tracking.
  • Updated Somnium OpenXR Runtime to 1.4.0.
    • Added optional Local Dimming functionality.
      • When enabled, it will apply different brightness to specific areas on the headset displays, based on the rendered image.
    • Support for VR controllers and inputs in OpenXR applications.
      • Only lighthouse-based controllers (HTC Vive, Valve Index) are supported. They need to be paired with the Somnium VR1 headset through standard SteamVR – Devices – Pair Controller menu.
      • SteamVR is required to provide communication interface with the controllers, but we recommend disabling Somnium SteamVR Driver to ensure that controllers can be paired and used correctly with Somnium OpenXR Runtime.
      • SteamVR version 1.16 does not correctly provide controller button inputs, so we recommend updating SteamVR to beta version 1.17, or downgrading it to previous version (1.15 or older).
    • Added support for 3DoF IMU tracking.
  • Somnium VR1 Tool UI changes:
    • Added Local Dimming section to Settings – Headset – Screen page.
      • Several local dimming modes can be selected based on user preference or specific application.
        • Linear mode uses a basic averaging algorithm which behaves the same for darker or lighter areas.
        • Dynamic mode is designed to achieve the best contrast between darker and lighter areas.
        • Natural mode uses a custom averaging algorithm to more closely resemble how human eyes adjust to light changes, but it may cause more artifacts.
        • Medium mode uses a linear averaging for the darker areas and more natural averaging for the lighter areas.
      • Minimum black level can be adjusted – lower values will mean darker blacks, but more artifacts may occur in areas with high contrast.
    • Added Transparent Calibration option to Settings – Headset – Eyes page.
      • When this option is enabled, any simple eye tracking calibration (started from Tool or with a physical button on the headset) will use only a simple calibration cross without darkening the rest of the virtual image.
    • Added Local Dimming Toggle functionality for hardware buttons (Settings – Headset – Buttons page).
    • Added Tracking Provider selector to Settings – Tracking page.
      • Lighthouse/SteamVR is the default option which utilizes embedded lighthouse sensors and requires lighthouse base stations.
      • 3DoF IMU is a new tracking option, which utilizes the internal IMU sensor and does not require lighthouse base stations. This option will only provide a basic 3DoF tracking (rotation of the headset only).
  • Improved installation process for Somnium OpenXR Runtime and Somnium SteamVR Driver.
    • More robust installation for both admin and non-admin users.
    • Faster status checks and installation checks.
  • Other additional fixes and improvements.
  • Known issues:
    • 120 Hz might cause image artifacts on some PC setups, so this mode is still considered experimental. 
    • Spacewarp functionality is currently experimental and may not work correctly on all PC/software setups. 
    • MSFS 2024 – Switching between desktop and VR mode repeatedly can cause drop in performance/FPS. If this issue occurs, we recommend restarting MSFS 2024. 
  • Notes:
    • This version was also released in Standalone edition as version 1.2.0.172.

1.1.2.50

March 31th, 2026
  • Updated Somnium Service to 3.0.1.
  • Updated Somnium OpenXR Runtime to 1.3.0.
    • Updated capture video algorithm – performance optimizations, color correction for different graphical APIs.
    • Updated mixed reality denoise algorithm – performance optimizations, image quality improvements.
    • New default settings for NVG visualization, which more closely correspond to real-life NVG behavior.
    • Updated support for direct eye tracking access (VRCFT plugin 1.2.) – added eye opened/closed information, separate left and right eye movement.
  • Updated Somnium SteamVR Driver to 3.7.0.
    • Support for SteamVR eye tracking – eye tracking data can be accessed directly through SteamVR API, this also automatically enables eye tracking capabilities for SteamVR OXR.
  • Somnium VR1 Tool UI changes: 
    • Configuration profile sharing – Added option to save and load custom configuration profiles (Software – Drivers page).
    • Added foveated transport section to Mixed Reality – General page, which allows changing position of the high-resolution part of mixed reality image (only for [foveated] MR profiles).
    • New mixed reality profile – 4032×2544,90FPS[foveated 1/3].
    • The denoise option for mixed reality can now be enabled independently on selected upscaling algorithm (previously it was only available for vrgAsharp).
    • Fix for display brightness slider not correctly updating brightness of headset displays (Headset – Screen page).
    • Added automatic homepage popup when new mixed reality firmware is available.
  • Other additional fixes and improvements. 
  • Known issues:
    • 120 Hz might cause image artifacts on some PC setups, so this mode is still considered experimental. 
    • VR Controllers are not supported in Somnium OpenXR Runtime. 
    • Spacewarp functionality is currently experimental and may not work correctly on all PC/software setups. 
    • MSFS 2024 – Switching between desktop and VR mode repeatedly can cause drop in performance/FPS. If this issue occurs, we recommend restarting MSFS 2024. 
  • Notes:
    • This version was also released in Standalone edition as version 1.1.2.142.

1.1.1.47

January 30th, 2026
  • Updated Somnium Service to version 3.0.0.
  • Updated Somnium OpenXR Runtime to 1.2.3.
    • Fix for Virtual Desktop UAC freeze (VD will still not show UAC windows, but it will correctly unfreeze after UAC is clicked away).
    • Fix for Easy Anti Cheat compatibility (LMU, Star Citizen, etc.).
    • Fix for Virtual Camera Compensation option not being applied when mixed reality is restarted.
    • Added support for direct eye tracking and mixed reality camera access (required SDK/plugins will be released separately, for example VRCFT plugin).
  • Updated Somnium SteamVR Driver to version 3.6.0.
    • Updated process of checking SteamVR driver state (this also fixes issues with latest SteamVR versions, where the checking process incorrectly disabled SteamVR driver).
  • Somnium VR1 Tool UI changes: 
    • Updated layout and UI style of the Somnium VR1 Tool Settings.
    • New Mixed Reality Profiles – low res 90/120 Hz modes (2028×1512), high res 1/3 foveated mode (4056×3024,75FPS[foveated 1/3]).
    • Chroma Key functionality is now separate from MR Masking type (it can be enabled by a checkbox on Masking page, independent on selected masking type).
    • Mixed reality now has aSharp upscaling enabled by default (Mixed Reality – General page).
    • Added Inverted Chroma Key functionality (experimental – currently only available with 3D mesh masking type).
    • Added NVG functionality (Headset – Advanced page) – this allows using a special customizable NVG-like image filter, either only on the mixed reality part of the image or on both the VR and MR parts. 
    • Added Anchored Tracking mode (Tracking page) – this can be used to fully anchor both the VR and MR position to a specific lighthouse tracker. 
    • Added option for restarting Ultraleap hand tracking sensor (Hands page). 
  • Added optional Visual C++ Redistributable installation to Somnium VR1 Tool installer components. 
  • Added separate options for OpenXR Runtime and SteamVR Driver uninstallation to Somnium VR1 Tool Uninstaller. 
  • Other additional fixes and improvements. 
  • Known issues:
    • 120 Hz might cause image artifacts on some PC setups, so this mode is still considered experimental. 
    • VR Controllers are not supported in Somnium OpenXR Runtime. 
    • Spacewarp functionality is currently experimental and may not work correctly on all PC/software setups. 
    • MSFS 2024 – Switching between desktop and VR mode repeatedly can cause drop in performance/FPS. If this issue occurs, we recommend restarting MSFS 2024. 
  • Notes:
    • This version was also released in Standalone edition as version 1.1.1.134.

1.1.0.45

October 23rd, 2025
  • Updated Somnium Service to version 2.8.0. 
    • New somnium software components replace legacy vrg components. 
      • Legacy components will be disabled automatically but may still be present on your system. 
    • New somnium configuration files, and folder structure. 
      • These are not compatible with legacy configuration files, so any changes to Somnium configuration will need to be reapplied manually in Somnium VR1 Tool. 
    • Updated payloads and dependencies. 
  • Updated Somnium OpenXR Runtime to version 1.0.0. 
    • Improved performance with most OpenXR applications (approximately 30-40% increase when compared to previous stable version). 
    • Added support for multiple display frequencies (72Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz [experimental]). 
      • The display mode can be changed on Headset-Screen page, but it requires compatible firmware version (1.1.5.128). 
    • Compatibility fixes for NVIDIA RTX 50xx GPUs. 
    • Mixed Reality updates: 
      • Improved image quality, auto exposure, and color profiles. 
      • Added new ultrawide MR camera mode (3968×2352,75FPS). 
      • Added new compensation options (Mixed Reality – General page). 
    • Eye Tracking updates: 
      • Improved eye tracking algorithms (better calibration, more precise tracking). 
      • Added special eye tracking calibration mode for VROptician lenses (to make calibration with lenses easier). To use this mode enable the Lens Inserts option on the Headset – Eyes page before calibrating the eye tracking. 
      • Added additional eye tracking info messages to in-headset overlay. 
    • OpenXR Runtime status and installation: 
      • Improved OpenXR Runtime installation process.  
      • Added info about currently active OpenXR Runtime to Software – Drivers page. 
      • Added periodic check of OpenXR Runtime, to dynamically reflect any OpenXR changes made outside Somnium VR1 Tool. 
    • Software compatibility: 
      • Compatibility fixes for Unreal Engine 5.2 and newer. 
      • Compatibility fixes for OpenKneeBoard. 
      • Added support for dynamic foveated rendering in MSFS 2024. 
      • Improved compatibility with other OpenXR applications (DCS, iRacing, LMU, Falcon BMS, Autodesk VRED, etc.). 
    • Improved tracker-based motion cancellation for motion platforms. 
  • Updated Somnium SteamVR Driver to version 3.5.0. 
    • Improved rendering pipeline. 
      • SteamVR now controls the whole rendering process and directly communicates with Somnium displays. 
      • Higher resolution of lens warping mesh. 
    • Added support for multiple display frequencies (72Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz [experimental]). 
      • The display mode can be changed directly in SteamVR Settings – General menu, but it requires compatible firmware version (1.1.5.128). 
    • Disabled UI elements in Somnium VR1 Tool which are not functional in SteamVR Driver mode (including info tooltip). 
    • Added native SteamVR overlays (Virtual Desktop, Eye Tracking, Mixed Reality). 
      • These overlays are now processed directly by SteamVR, so they are visible in SteamVR VR View window and Overlay Viewer. 
  • Updated Ultraleap Runtime to version 6.1.0.1. 
  • Somnium VR1 Tool UI changes: 
    • Added custom Fan Speed options (Headset – Power page). 
    • Updated text and UI on some Setup Wizard pages to be more user-friendly. 
    • Added new functionality for hardware buttons (Eye Tracking toggle, separate Simple and Advanced Eye Calibration, separate action for Passthrough and Masked Mixed Reality). 
    • Added separate option for changing top and bottom vertical FOV (Headset – Advanced page). 
    • Added total vertical and horizontal FOV values (Headset – Advanced page). 
    • Added new option to enable detailed advanced logs (Software – Drivers page). 
  • Known issues:
    • 120 Hz might cause image artifacts on some PC setups, so this mode is still considered experimental. 
    • VR Controllers are not supported in Somnium OpenXR Runtime. 
    • Spacewarp functionality is currently experimental and may not work correctly on all PC/software setups. 
    • MSFS 2024 – Switching between desktop and VR mode repeatedly can cause drop in performance/FPS. If this issue occurs, we recommend restarting MSFS 2024. 
  • Notes:
    • This version was also released in Standalone edition as version 1.1.0.122.

1.0.4.109 – Somnium SDK Beta5

August 12th, 2025
  • Added overlays to SteamVR driver (Mixed Reality, Virtual Desktop, Eye Tracking).
  • Added simple Eye Tracking calibration.
  • Fixed Virtual Desktop default position.
  • Re-enabled foveated rendering status information.
  • Added spacewarp functionality (experimental).
  • Added tracking origin offsets.
  • Added new option to enable detailed advanced logs.
  • Added support for dynamic foveated rendering in MSFS 2024.
  • Fixed OpenXR compatibility with Le Mans Ultimate and MSFS 2020.
  • Improved mixed reality behavior and added new compensation options for mesh masking.
  • Eye tracking improvements.
  • Other additional fixes and improvements.
  • Known issues:
    • 120 Hz might cause image artifacts on some PC setups.
    • VR Controllers are not supported in native OpenXR.
    • Spacewarp functionality is currently experimental and may not work correctly on all PC/software setups.
    • When SteamVR Driver is used VR View functionality can’t be enabled from Somnium VR1 Tool (use SteamVR VR View instead).

1.0.3.98 – Somnium SDK Beta4

June 6th, 2025
  • Eye-tracking improved algorithms (better calibration, more precise tracking).
  • Added eye tracking trail/heatmap visualization and option to disable/enable eye tracking after calibration.
  • Special eye-tracking calibration mode for VROptician lenses (to make calibration with lenses easier).
    • To use this mode enable the Lens Inserts option on the Settings – Headset – Eyes page before calibrating the eye tracking.
  • RTX 5090 compatibility fixes.
  • Mixed Reality improvements (image quality and usability).
  • Motion Cancellation support (tracker-based).
  • OpenKneeBoard compatibility support.
  • Option to set FOV to lower values (60° in both vertical and horizontal FOV), and option to set render resolution up to 200%.
  • Added total vertical and horizontal FOV values to Settings – Headset – Advanced page.
  • Info about running application name is now available in Connected Device section.
  • SteamVR adjusted warping (higher resolution warping mesh).
  • Fix for checking correct SteamVR Somnium driver status and ability to enable/disable it from Somnium VR1 Tool.
  • Other smaller fixes and improvements.
  • Known issues:
    • 120 Hz might cause image artifacts on some PC setups.
    • Enabling mixed reality or virtual desktop overlays can cause small image stuttering on some PC setups.
    • Simple eye tracking calibration and Measure IPD functionality is currently not available.
    • Virtual Desktop doesn’t automatically reset position after it is enabled (use manual Reset from Somnium VR1 Tool instead).
    • Info about foveated rendering state is not available in Somnium VR1 Tool (foveated rendering status in Connected Device section will always show a grey dot even if foveated rendering is active).
    • VR Controllers are not supported in native OpenXR.
    • Spacewarp functionality is not yet available.
    • Overlays in SteamVR are not available, and most of the Somnium VR1 Tool options are currently not working with SteamVR driver.
    • Tracking origin offsets are not available.

1.0.3.95 – Somnium SDK Beta3 hotfix

May 2nd, 2025
  • Fixed process freeze issue in DCS.
  • Fixed iRacing crash when mixed reality cameras are connected.
  • Fixed application crash when enabling mixed reality with Nvidia sharpening.
  • Known issues:
    • 120 Hz might cause image artifacts on some PC setups.
    • Only advanced eye calibration is currently available, and it is not possible to manually enable/disable eye tracking (eye tracking is started automatically after a successful calibration).
    • VR Controllers are not supported in native OpenXR.
    • Motion cancellation is not yet available.
    • Spacewarp functionality is not yet available.
    • SteamVR driver is included in this beta, but only basic rendering is available, so we do not recommend testing SteamVR with this version.

1.0.3.93 – Somnium SDK Beta3

April 23rd, 2025
  • iRacing OpenXR compatibility fix.
  • Mixed Reality color & image improvements.
  • Improved image warping.
  • Eye tracking functionality added (only advanced calibration is available for now).
  • Foveated rendering functionality added (both static + dynamic). Tested in DCS (requires enabling Quad Views option in DCS VR settings) and Unreal Engine.
  • Buttons functionality added. Additional new button actions are available (separate action for passthrough and masked mixed reality, separate action for eye tracking calibration).
  • Stability & performance improvements.
  • Other bug fixes & improvements.
  • Known issues:
    • 120 Hz might cause image artifacts on some PC setups.
    • Only advanced eye calibration is currently available, and it is not possible to manually enable/disable eye tracking (eye tracking is started automatically after a successful calibration).
    • VR Controllers are not supported in native OpenXR.
    • Motion cancellation is not yet available.
    • iRacing doesn’t load when MR USB cables are connected.
    • Spacewarp functionality is not yet available.
    • SteamVR driver is included in this beta, but only basic rendering is available, so we do not recommend testing SteamVR with this version.

1.0.3.89 – Somnium SDK Beta2

March 8th, 2025
  • Added Mixed Reality capabilities
  • Added VR upscaling algorithms
  • Minor bug fixes and improvements
  • Known issues:
    • OpenXR runtime is not compatible with iRacing.
    • Eye tracking and foveated rendering functionality is not yet available.
    • Motion cancellation is not yet available.
    • Spacewarp functionality is not yet available.
    • SteamVR driver is included in this beta, but only basic rendering is available, so we do not recommend testing SteamVR with this version.

1.0.3.83 – Somnium SDK Beta1

February 19th, 2025
  • Added support for multiple display frequencies (72Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz).
  • Better performance with native OpenXR runtime (approximately 30-40% increase when compared to previous version).
  • Potential audio bug fix (robo voice).
  • Full compatibility with Unreal Engine 5.2 and newer.
  • Known issues:
    • This beta version is designed to test only features mentioned above using native OpenXR runtime and it does not support additional functionality such as: foveated rendering, upscaling, spacewarp, overlays, VD, buttons, MR etc.
    • SteamVR driver is included in this beta, but only basic rendering is available, so we do not recommend testing SteamVR with this version.

1.0.3.43

December 5th, 2024
  • Additional fix for flashing black stripes while using SteamVR driver.
  • Fixed tracking initialization issues in OpenXR applications.
  • Added option to disable spacewarp functionality (Rendering page).
  • Added color enhancer option for mixed reality (MR Exposure page).
  • Adjusted default mixed reality exposure values.
  • Fix for OpenXR DirectX12 compatibility issues.
  • Known issues:
    • Somnium OpenXR Runtime 4.8.2 is not compatible with Unreal Engine 5.2 and newer.
      • For now we recommend using either SteamVR plugin or SteamVR OpenXR runtime with those versions of Unreal Engine.
    • Mixed reality image is not shown when Blending is set to 100% (Mixed Reality – General page).
  • Notes:
    • This version was also later released in Standalone edition as version 1.0.3.96.

1.0.2.41

November 14th, 2024
  • Partial fix for flashing black stripes while using SteamVR driver (depends on specific PC setup).
  • Fixed crash in SteamVR when activating the Calibrate Head Pose function (Eyes page).
  • Added measured IPD visualization to SteamVR driver.
  • VR View optimization (VR View will not limit the rendering pipeline).
  • Fixed Somnium VR1 Tool list in Windows Apps to only show the latest installed version.
  • Other minor improvements and fixes.

1.0.1.37

November 1st, 2024
  • Fixed perceived delay of the VR movement vs physical movements.
  • Fixed low FOV problems to allow for the full FOV of the headset to be utilized.
  • Changed default rendering resolution to 80%.
  • Added option to set custom keyboard shortcut in the Buttons tab.
  • Updated algorithm for mixed reality latency compensation.
  • Fixed IPD values displayed in Connected Headset section and in the Eyes tab.
  • Added capability to switch FOV and resolution without restarting SteamVR.
  • Fixed FPS counter in Somnium VR1 Tool when using SteamVR.
  • Fixed measure IPD and eye tracking functionality in SteamVR.

1.0.0.28

September 26th, 2024
  • First release of Somnium VR1 Tool

This page was last modified on July 2nd, 2026 at 18:51

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