This post will provide step-by-step instructions on how to uninstall Steam VR from your PC.
You may need to uninstall Steam VR for a number of reasons such as to reinstall it or if you don’t play VR anymore.
However, it turns out that uninstalling Steam VR is not as straightforward as you might think.
Quick Summary
This post delves into:
- How to uninstall Steam VR
- How to reinstall Steam VR
- Some frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to Steam VR
So without further ado, let’s get into it.
How to Uninstall Steam VR? (Step-by-Step Instructions)
As mentioned above, there could be a variety of reasons why you might want to uninstall Steam VR.
In addition to the reasons listed above, another more common reason is that many people want to tinker with advanced Steam VR settings.
This is often done to improve performance with certain VR titles. However, sometimes, this can cause unforeseen issues and the only way to fix it is to uninstall Steam VR and then, reinstall it again.
Follow these step-by-step instructions to uninstall Steam VR from your PC:
Step 1: Log into your Steam application and click on Library from the top menu.
Step 2: Scroll through your game library to the left and find Steam VR. Once you find it, right-click on it and then, select Properties.
Step 3: In the Properties window, go to the Local Files tab and click on Browse.
You’ll be taken to a folder that contains all of the files for Steam VR. Go ahead and delete all of these files.
Step 4: Deleting the local Steam data will get rid of Steam VR for the most part. However, there is still some extra data that may be floating around in your computer.
It’s important that you delete and uninstall every single part of Steam VR to ensure that you have a clean reinstall if you intend to reinstall it.
Even if you don’t intend to reinstall it, you don’t want those extra, unnecessary files taking up space.
Step 5: Press Ctrl, Shift, and Esc at the same time and you’ll be greeted with the Task Manager window.
Step 6: Navigate to the Processes tab in the Task Manager, find any processes related to Steam VR, and end them.
Step 7: Open File Explorer and enter the address provided below to navigate to the Steam Common folder.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common
Important note: If you don’t have Steam installed in your C:\ drive then just replace the “C:\” with the appropriate drive that has Steam installed in it.
Step 8: After you navigate to the provided directory, you’ll see a bunch of folders that correspond to the games and programs you installed through Steam.
Find the Steam VR folder and delete it.
Step 9: Next, copy and paste the following address into your File Explorer. Again, if your Steam is not installed in your C:\ drive, then just replace it with whatever the appropriate drive is.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\config
Within this directory, you must first find and delete a file named “steamvr.vrsettings”. Once that’s done, find the folder named “Lighthouse” and delete it as well.
Once all of this is done, all of your temporary and cached Steam VR files will have been completely wiped from your PC.
Now, all that’s left is to uninstall Steam VR itself. The process to do that is the same as any other game that you might uninstall through Steam.
Step 10: Navigate to your Steam library. Scroll through your library of games on the left and find Steam VR.
Right-click on it and then select Uninstall.
Step 11: If you intend to reinstall Steam VR to reset its configurations, etc., then there’s one last thing you must do.
Navigate to the same common folder that you did in Step 7.
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common
Check to see if Steam has automatically generated another Steam VR folder. If you see it, go ahead and delete it.
Important note: Uninstalling Steam VR in this way will also delete any VR titles that you may have installed on Steam.
Now, Steam VR is completely uninstalled from your PC and you can safely reinstall it.
How to Reinstall Steam VR?
It’s super easy to reinstall Steam VR.
All you have to do is go to your Steam library, scroll, and look for Steam VR.
Since you uninstalled it, it will be grayed out.
Right-click on it and select Install.
You might not see the “Install” option in some cases. If this happens, simply navigate to the Store page for Steam VR and install it from there.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
My VR Games on Steam have Performance Issues; what Should I Do?
This is an issue that many people face. Oftentimes, this can occur even though you didn’t experience these performance issues when you first installed Steam VR.
Most likely, it’s because some configuration settings for Steam VR got changed.
To get back the same performance you used to have, you must uninstall and then, reinstall Steam VR. The procedure to do so is detailed above.
My Steam VR Got Uninstalled on Its Own; How Did This Happen?
This can sometimes happen if you have some sort of antivirus software installed that falsely identifies Steam VR as a virus or a form of malware.
To ensure this does not happen, you should either uninstall your antivirus software or add Steam VR as an exception within its settings.
How Do I Exit Steam VR Beta?
To opt out of Steam VR’s beta, you can go to the Betas tab in Steam VR’s Properties and choose “None” in the drop-down list.
Can I Use Steam VR to Play Non-VR Games?
Yes, you can easily use Steam VR to play games that were not actually designed to be enjoyed in virtual reality.
However, it’s important to note that the experience won’t be the same as actual VR games. Instead, you’ll be in “desktop theater” mode, where you’ll find yourself sitting in a virtual room enjoying the 2D game.
Can I Use Steam VR Offline?
Yes, you can absolutely utilize Steam VR offline. However, it’s important to note that you must have it fully installed and updated through the internet prior to use.
As long as you download the important updates beforehand, you can use Steam VR offline with ease.
Wrapping Things Up…
Steam VR can be a deceptively tricky thing to uninstall. This is frustrating since, oftentimes, people will need to do this to get their old settings back.
However, once you figure it out, it becomes a piece of cake. While the process is tedious, it’s not that difficult to perform.
What do you think of Steam VR? What VR games do you play with it? Let us know in the comments section below.
