SteamVR Error 308
“I bought my new Vive a few days ago but failed to play virtual reality games on Steam”-says a video gamer.
Whenever they load SteamVR application/tool on their Windows PCs, it simply throws an error message stating,
SteamVR wasn’t able to start because of unknown reasons. (Error: Unknown Error (308)).
Not only you, but many users have complained about this SteamVR Error 308. You came to the right place because we have provided the workarounds that fix this problem on your Windows.
We all know that SteamVR is a tool that allows the user to use their VR headsets in order to play virtual reality games. If SteamVR stops running or crashes, then we can’t play our favorite games.
This Error 308 mainly occurs while installing or using the SteamVR tool on our PCs. There are several reasons for causing this problem, such as insufficient permissions, etc.
To know more information about this SteamVR Error 308, you need to browse the following sections.
Table of Contents
SteamVR Error 308 Problem Overview
Valve Corporation is designing different kinds of video games, including virtual reality (VR) games. To play these VR games, we need to set up the supporting tool on our PCs.
At the same time, we have to purchase the VR headset to use it as the controller for playing games. That’s the reason why Valve Corporation developed SteamVR to play VR games on Microsoft Windows PCs.
Presently, there are several VR headsets in the market, such as Vive, Valve Index, Oculus Rift, and many more. You can buy any of your favorite headsets from the manufacturer’s site or online shopping portals (Flipkart, Amazon, etc.).
Sometimes, we encounter errors while playing these VR games on our Windows desktops. SteamVR stops working suddenly and shows this error message on our screen.
While installing or using the tool continuously, this SteamVR Error 308 is displayed. The reasons for causing this problem are given below.
Those are the major reasons for this SteamVR Error 308. Now, look into those troubleshooting methods that solve it completely.
SteamVR Error 308 Related Problems
Apart from Error 308, we face various other errors while using SteamVR on our Windows 10. Some of those issues are explained in this section.
Basic Troubleshooting Steps
Let’s first start with the basic methods to solve the SteamVR Error 308 on your Windows 10.
-
Restart Your Windows PC
Regardless of the problem that you encounter on your PC, restarting the device is the best method. Now, we recommend the Steam users to reboot their Windows 10 to fix this SteamVR Error 308 issue.
- Press Windows logo -> Click Power options -> Select Restart.
Once the system gets restarted, check the SteamVR is initializing correctly or not.
-
Restart Steam Client
Apart from the above ones, the users have to restart their Steam Client and SteamVR to overcome these kinds of errors on the desktops.
Some users have reported that restarting these Valve Corporation apps can resolve Error 308 and allows the user to play the virtual reality games without any issues.
Steps To Fix SteamVR Error 308 Issue
Now, it’s time to go through some other methods that will help you in fixing the SteamVR Error 308 issue. But be careful while executing the steps on your computer.
- Step 1
Run Steam with Admin Privileges
SteamVR application needs some special privileges to run it on your Windows 10. If you didn’t prove ide those permissions, then these errors are quite common.
Therefore, run Steam with the admin account to fix this issue on your PC.
- Right-click the Steam app -> Click Run as Administrator from the menu.
Now, check the SteamVR Error 308 is fixed or occurs again on your Windows or not.
- Step 2
Update Device Drivers
Drivers must be up-to-date in order to run the applications correctly on our desktops. If we continue to use the older versions, then it might be the reason for your SteamVR issue.
Thus, upgrade all the drivers, particularly GPU card drivers, to overcome this error.
- Press Windows logo along with the X alphabet -> Click Device Manager from the list.
- Now, double-click the Device Adapters to view the available video cards.
- Right-click the GPU card you’re using -> Select Update Driver.
- It opens a pop-up window on your screen, and in that, click Search automatically for the updated driver software.
- Now, it searches for the latest drivers on the manufacturer’s website and installs them on your PC.
You can also upgrade your device drivers automatically using the IObit Driver Booster. Once you finish installing the latest drivers, check the SteamVR is loading/initializing correctly on your PC or not.
- Step 3
Close Steam and SteamVR Processes
Sometimes, closing all the Steam processes and running them freshly on our PCs will fix this SteamVR Error 308 issue. Execute the following steps to kill the Steam and SteamVR tasks.
- Use Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys at a time on your keyboard to open the Task Manager.
- Under the Processes tab, you will see all the Steam processes running on your computer.
- Right-click the Steam process -> Click the End Task option.
- Like this, you have to close all those Steam processes running on your computer.
Finally, restart Steam and SteamVR and check the Error 308 appears again or not.
- Step 4
Delete Temporary Files
Every program on our PC stores the temporary data, including Steam. Due to any reason, if Steam’s temporary files are corrupted, then there is a chance of occurring this error.
These corrupted temp files may stop initializing or loading the SteamVR on your Windows 10. Therefore, deleting the temporary files from the PC is the best choice.
- First of all, close all the Steam processes running on your PC.
- Open the File Explorer and navigate the following path,
- C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\openvr\openvrpaths.vrpath
- Select openvr and press the Del key to delete it from the PC.
- After rebooting the PC, check the SteamVR app is running correctly or not.
If you still face the SteamVR Error 308, then use the following methods.
- Step 5
Fix SteamVR Installation Path
By correcting the SteamVR Installation Path, we can solve this Error 308 on our PCs. For that,
- End the Steam and SteamVR tasks completely on your computer.
- Go to the installation folder of the Steam app and open the following path,
- Steam/steamapps/common/SteamVR/bin/win64
- Now, you need to run the vrpathtreg file to fix this path issue.
Once you restart Steam and SteamVR, you will not see any of these errors.
- Step 6
Disable or Uninstall Problematic Apps
In some forums and standard communities, they suggested disabling or uninstalling the conflicting apps can solve this SteamVR Error 308.
If the programs that we are using are not compatible with the SteamVR app, then it causes these issues. That’s why you have to locate those problematic apps and disable them on your PC.
After disabling all the apps, start enabling them one by one to find the problematic one. Now, uninstall that program completely from your Windows 10.
- Step 7
Reinstall SteamVR
Users who are still troubling with this SteamVR Error 308 have to uninstall and reinstall this app on their PCs. Reinstalling SteamVR will remove the corrupted files and load the app without any error messages.
- First of all, uninstall the SteamVR app from your PC. For that, execute appwiz.cpl in the Run box.
- Select SteamVR -> Click Uninstall.
Within few seconds, it completes the uninstallation process. After that, open the official website of Steam and download the newest version of SteamVR.
Once you finish the SteamVR installation, check the Error 308 is occurring again while initializing SteamVR or not.
Tips To Avoid SteamVR Error 308
Contact Official Support
Steam and SteamVR applications are developed by Valve Corporation. Whenever you face this SteamVR Error 308, you can use the above methods to fix it.
If you failed to solve it with our tips and tricks, then check out the official forums of Valve Corporation and other authorized forums, such as Reddit, etc.
When you didn’t find anything new, simply contact the support team of Steam. Log in to your account and select the VR product from the list, such as Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, etc.
They will post the instructions or provide steps to resolve the SteamVR Error 308 on your Windows PC.
Final Words: Conclusion
To sum up everything, I can say that SteamVR is the essential tool for playing virtual reality games on our desktops. Most of the time, the problem will not occur when we offer sufficient requirements and use a stable internet connection.
If you face this Error 308, apply the given methods in this post. Even we welcome your own tricks that can eliminate this error on Windows PCs. You can share those instructions via the comment section placed below.
For any clarifications or suggestions, feel free to contact us by leaving a message. Thank you for showing your love and support.
