---
title: NixOS
---

# NixOS

General documentation about VR is provided on the [NixOS Wiki](https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/VR).

## Recommendations
The recommended way to set up NixOS for VR is by using [services.monado](https://search.nixos.org/options?channel=unstable&query=services.monado) or [services.wivrn](https://search.nixos.org/options?channel=unstable&query=services.wivrn).

You may also want to install [opencomposite](https://search.nixos.org/packages?channel=unstable&query=opencomposite) (or xrizer, currently only available in [nixpkgs-xr](https://github.com/nix-community/nixpkgs-xr)) and [wlx-overlay-s](https://search.nixos.org/packages?channel=unstable&query=wlx-overlay-s).

For OpenComposite or XRizer, you may want to configure `~/.config/openvr/openvrpaths.vrpath` to point to your OpenComposite or XRizer installation. See below for an example using [home-manager](https://github.com/nix-community/home-manager).

```nix
xdg.configFile."openvr/openvrpaths.vrpath".text = ''
  {
    "config" :
    [
      "~/.local/share/Steam/config"
    ],
    "external_drivers" : null,
    "jsonid" : "vrpathreg",
    "log" :
    [
      "~/.local/share/Steam/logs"
    ],
    "runtime" :
    [
      "${pkgs.opencomposite}/lib/opencomposite"
    ],
    "version" : 1
  }
'';
```

If you need to run the latest possible version of any of these pieces of software for whatever reason, above what is packaged in NixOS, you may want to check out Community Overlays at the bottom of this article.

If you need to run a branch of Monado or WiVRn, you can use `.overrideAttrs`, see below for an example of doing this for Coreforge's Monado Pimax fork.

```nix
monado = {
    enable = true;
    defaultRuntime = true;
    highPriority = true;

    package = (pkgs.monado.overrideAttrs {
        pname = "monado-pimax"; # optional but helps distinguishing between packages

        src = pkgs.fetchFromGitLab {
            domain = "gitlab.freedesktop.org";
            owner = "Coreforge";
            repo = "monado";
            rev = "f858ee5dd8ca7696bd9219e8278f2671df56fe6e";
            hash = "sha256-Si56yvG+oSfyUaPAlF1FgB7WJo8td1xuVxYnkJvbu4o=";
        };
    });
};
```

## Monado
Monado is supported natively on NixOS using the [services.monado](https://search.nixos.org/options?channel=unstable&query=services.monado) since 24.05.

Make sure to follow the [official guide](https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/VR#Monado) as it sets the *minimal* requirements needed, then, if those aren't sufficient:

In case of the headset view stuttering, adding `U_PACING_COMP_MIN_TIME_MS = "5";` to `systemd.user.services.monado.environment` could help. Adjust the value as needed.

Similarly, setting the cpu Niceness value to a higher priority manually with `renice -20 -p $(pgrep monado)` could also help. Unfortunately `systemd.user.services.monado.serviceConfig.Nice = -20;` does **not** seem to work.

Once monado is set up the nix way, use `systemctl --user start monado.service` to run it and `systemctl --user stop monado.service` to stop it.

## WiVRn
WiVRn is also supported natively on NixOS using the [services.wivrn](https://search.nixos.org/options?channel=unstable&query=services.wivrn) since 24.05.

As WiVRn is built around Monado, most, if not all, settings for Monado are also available for WiVRn, however you may need to change things like process and option names appropriately.

You can find WiVRn on the official [NixOS wiki](https://wiki.nixos.org/wiki/VR#WiVRn).

### Steam Games
To get Steam games working with monado on NixOS, use the `env PRESSURE_VESSEL_FILESYSTEMS_RW=$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/monado_comp_ipc %command%` launch options on steam and, if prompted, choose the SteamVR launch option.

## OpenXR apps
All OpenXR apps should work out of the box, assuming you have a default runtime set.

To set a default OpenXR runtime, you can either use `services.monado.defaultRuntime` (the same option is present for WiVRn) or create/modify `~/.config/openxr/1/active_runtime.json`.

## SteamVR
SteamVR works like it does on other distros for the most part. Unfortunately, if it doesn't work out of the box, troubleshooting it on NixOS can be close to impossible due to NixOS's structure and SteamVR's proprietary nature.

[Asynchronous reprojection does not work](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/217119) without a [kernel patch](https://github.com/Frogging-Family/community-patches/blob/a6a468420c0df18d51342ac6864ecd3f99f7011e/linux61-tkg/cap_sys_nice_begone.mypatch). However, this patch is only applicable for AMD GPUs. There is no way to get SteamVR asynchronous reprojection working on Nvidia.

[setcap doesn't work](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/issues/42117#issuecomment-996731579) but can be done manually.

## Envision
[Envision](../../fossvr/envision/) has been packaged in [nixos 24.11](https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/nixos-24.11/pkgs/by-name/en/envision/package.nix) but is still in early development and is not recommended. It may also mess with your `monado.service` setup in unexpected ways.

Notably, if you try to use Envision on NixOS, by default, binaries will be dynamically linked, not statically linked, which will cause many issues with VR apps. Also, if you try to use Envision with a dedicated PCVR headset (ie, Monado with an Index, Pimax, etc), asynchronous reprojection will not work without an AMD-only kernel patch, for the same reason as SteamVR.

### Removing Envision
In case you did not follow the above advice, and attempted to use Envision on NixOS, you may want to undo the changes it has made to your home folder, so `services.monado`, `services.wivrn`, `opencomposite` and/or `xrizer` may work correctly.

You will want to delete or modify `~/.config/openxr/1/active_runtime.json`. Note that this is an override for `/etc/xdg/openxr/1/active_runtime.json`, so if you are using `services.monado.defaultRuntime = true` (or the WiVRn equivalent) then you can safely delete this file. Otherwise, you'll want to point it to your Monado installation, which will be somewhere in `/nix/store`.

You will also want to modify `~/.config/openvr/openvrpaths.vrpath`. Remove any runtimes that point to Envision's compiled binaries.

I recommend using [home-manager](https://github.com/nix-community/home-manager) to automate writing these config files, as these paths will change regularly, due to the nature of NixOS.

## Community Overlays
[Nixpkgs-xr](https://github.com/nix-community/nixpkgs-xr) provides overlays for the exisiting nixpkgs. If the mainline packages are broken for you (whether it be compiling or in function) for any reason, adding this, as described in the readme, might help. It also provides XR-related packages considerably before they are available in NixOS.