Dealing with the frustrating “SteamVR Initialization Failed” error can put a real damper on your virtual reality experience.
This common issue, often accompanied by the vague “Headset Not Found (Error 108)” message, signals that SteamVR is unable to detect or connect to your VR headset.
Without a working headset connection, enjoying the immersive worlds of your favorite VR games and applications is impossible. Fortunately, you can try several potential fixes to resolve Error 108 and get your VR system back up and running.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the top troubleshooting tips to fix the SteamVR Initialization Failed error, step-by-step.
Why SteamVR Initialization Failed HMD Not Found Error 108
There are a few key reasons why the “SteamVR Initialization Failed” error and HMD not found issue (Error 108) can occur:
- Loose or faulty HDMI/USB/Power connections between the headset and PC: If there’s an issue with the physical connections, the headset won’t be detected.
- Outdated, corrupt, or incompatible software drivers: If any of the drivers for your graphics card, USB ports, or VR headset are outdated or corrupted, that can prevent proper initialization.
- Hardware incompatibilities: Using an incompatible graphics card, low CPU/GPU resources, or trying to use a headset on an unsupported platform like Mac or Linux can cause errors.
- Damaged cables or ports: Any damage to the physical HDMI, USB or display ports involved can block data transfer and cause connectivity issues.
- SteamVR software bugs: Sometimes bugs within SteamVR’s code can inadvertently cause headset detection failures.
How To Fix SteamVR Initialization Failed HMD Not Found Error 108
To Fix SteamVR Initialization Failed HMD Not Found Error 108, first, restart the Steam VR and the Computer. Then replug all USB cables, reset USB drivers in Steam and System, disable USB power saving setting on Computer. If nothing works reinstall the Steam VR.
1. Power Cycle Your Headset and Computer
Restarting the Devices will remove the temperory glitches.
- Completely shut down your computer and VR headset.
- Unplug the power cables from both the computer and the VR headset.
- Wait for about 1 minute to allow all capacitors to discharge and the hardware to reset.
- Reconnect the power cables and turn on both the computer and the VR headset.
2. Check USB Connections
There might be an issue with the USB port which intruupts the data transfer between system and the headset.
- Ensure that the USB cable from the headset is plugged into a USB port on your computer. If it’s connected to a USB hub or extension, try plugging it directly into the computer.
- Try different USB ports, preferably USB 3.0 ports, as they provide better power output and data transfer rates.
- If your computer has both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports, try switching between them to see if one works better than the other.
3. Remove USB Devices and Reset USB Ports
Reseting USB port will refresh the hardware communication, delete cache files and help USB to work in clean state.
- Disconnect any non-essential USB devices that may be interfering with the headset.
- Go to the “Device Manager” in Windows (you can search for it in the Start menu).
- Expand the ‘‘Universal Serial Bus controllers’‘ section.
- Right-click on each USB Root Hub and select ‘‘Uninstall device’‘. Do this for all USB Root Hub entries.
- Restart your computer to allow Windows to reinstall the USB controllers.
4. Use SteamVR to Remove USB Devices
Reconfigure the USB Device in Steam VR will elimnate if there is any USB conflicts among the device.
- Launch SteamVR and go to the ‘‘Settings’‘ menu.
- Click on ‘‘Developer’‘ and find the ‘‘Remove all SteamVR USB Devices’‘ button.
- Click the button and confirm the action. This will remove all SteamVR-related USB devices from your system.
- After the removal process is complete, restart your computer.
- Once restarted, plug your VR headset back in to allow the drivers to reinstall.
5. Update USB Drivers
The USB drivers may be out dated and the error occurs.
- Go back to the “Device Manager.“
- Right-click on each USB Root Hub again and select ‘‘Update driver’‘.
- Choose ‘‘Search automatically for updated driver software’‘ and follow the prompts.
- Do this for all USB Root Hub entries and any other USB-related entries.
6. Disable USB Power Saving
If you have enabled the power saving mode, USB doesnt have enough power flow and the error occurs.
- In the Device Manager, right-click on each USB Root Hub and select ‘‘Properties’‘.
- Go to the ‘‘Power Management’‘ tab.
- Uncheck ‘‘Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power’‘.
- Click ‘‘OK’‘ and do this for all USB Root Hub entries.
7. Check SteamVR Installation
Checking Integrity of tool fille will optimise the steam files by removing currupted data.
- Open Steam, go to the “Library“, right-click on SteamVR, and select “Properties.“
- Navigate to the Local Files tab and click on “Verify Integrity of Tool Files” to check for and repair corrupted files.
8. Reinstall SteamVR
Reinstalling Steam VR refreshes the Steam to work properly by removing uneccessary technical glicthes.
To install SteamVR, follow these steps:
- Launch the “Steam client” on your computer.
- Click on the “Library” , find SteamVR.
- Right-click on SteamVR and select “Uninstall”
- Confirm the uninstallation when prompted.
- Restart the Computer
To Install SteamVR:
- After restarting, open “Steam” again.
- Go back to the “Library” section.
- “Search for SteamVR” in the store if it’s no longer in your library, or find it in your list of tools.
- Click on “Install” to begin the reinstallation process.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
- Once SteamVR is reinstalled, right-click on it in the Library again.
- Select “Properties,” go to the “Local Files” tab, and click on “Verify Integrity of Tool Files.”
- Steam will check for any missing or corrupt files and replace them as needed.
- Launch SteamVR to see if the issue has been resolved.
By following these steps, you should be able to successfully reinstall SteamVR and potentially resolve any issues you were experiencing.
If it doesnt work then consider replcing the Headset. The USB or the Headset is not compitable with SteamVR.
