Native Linux Client + PipeWire Support Request

Hi team, I wanted to resurface the topic of native Linux support with a few updated points.

Many users, myself included, would fully switch to Linux if VRChat had proper native support. Currently, we rely on Proton, which introduces a range of issues:

  • AVPro video often breaks or freezes without custom Proton patches (e.g., GE‑Proton‑RTSP).

  • The in-game camera can’t be cleanly captured — no Spout, no OBS integration.

  • SDK and Unity tools don’t run cleanly without Windows or Wine workarounds.

  • Microphone routing and Discord integration are inconsistent or broken.

Linux has come a long way, and the ecosystem is ready:

  • PipeWire is now standard across major distros, offering low-latency, high-quality audio and video streams.

  • PipeWire could be used to expose the in-game camera to OBS, similar to how Spout works on Windows.

  • AVPro could be supplemented (or eventually replaced) with FFmpeg or other cross-platform options.

There’s clear interest from the community. A lot of us are tied to Windows only because VRChat doesn’t support Linux natively.

If there’s any chance of revisiting Linux support — even in an experimental or limited form, it would go a long way. I think you’d see strong community engagement from developers and testers willing to help.

Thanks for your time. I’m happy to chat more about feasibility or testing if there’s interest.

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I second this motion. I myself use an older PC to access VrChat, and once Steam stops supporting Windows 10, then I am out of luck (there is no way my machine will run Windows 11). A Linux version of VrChat will keep me (and I presume many other VrChat users) on the platform.

+1 - VRChat currently does work very well under Proton, though there are some nuances that require a ProtonGE-RTSP build for video players to work somewhat properly. Native support would be nice though, Webcam support is currently borked, even though webcams have worked in wine applications for some time now, so no selfie mode until this is properly fixed.

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I agree, i have been testing VR applications on proton and VRChat has some fundamental issues (stuttering, video players, performance) on the latest build of proton. a native Linux port would solve most of these issues. the only problem i see is world and avatar compatibility especially early on, but it is worth it and eventually this would change.