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Gear VR and Bluetooth Headphones issue

Discussion in 'AR/VR (XR) Discussion' started by MarkDolby, Sep 25, 2015.

  1. MarkDolby

    MarkDolby

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2015
    Posts:
    6
    When using Bluetooth headphones with the Gear VR we are experiencing very glitchy and laggy sound. Has anyone else encountered this problem? If so is there a fix?

    We have tried different Bluetooth headsets, a simple scene with just one audio source playing and different projects but the result is always the same. The apps sound fine when not built to VR mode with the same headphones and we have found that other Gear VR apps sound fine as well.

    I have also tried changing almost every setting on the audio file itself as well as the global audio settings but to no avail.

    We are using the latest Unity build and Oculus SDK (5.2.1f1 and 0.7)

    Thank you for any help in advance.

    Note: please assume wired headphones are not an option here.
     
  2. Jerome-Maurey

    Jerome-Maurey

    Joined:
    May 6, 2013
    Posts:
    6
    Hi,

    We are using 4.6.8f1 and the 0.6.1mobile SDK and seeing the same issue on Gear VR. Wired headphones work great but bluetooth sound a mess. Almost sounds like slow motion + stutter.

    We also use the EasyMovieTexture plugin to play videos and their audio renders fine in both wired and bluetooth headphones.

    Really weird and frustrating!


    Cheers,

    J.
     
  3. MarkDolby

    MarkDolby

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2015
    Posts:
    6
    Glad to know that we are not the only ones experiencing this problem.

    Strange that the EasyMovieTexture plugin plays the sound ok, maybe it is a problem with how Unity renders it's audio then?
     
  4. gw

    gw

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2015
    Posts:
    1
    I am experiencing exactly the same issue as described with glitchy laggy sound for bluetooth. Works fine without bluetooth. Defenite issue at the moment for gearvr and unity builds.
     
  5. shakhruz

    shakhruz

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2011
    Posts:
    43
    Exactly the same problem here. Desperately looking for a solution, even a temporary.
    Since Easy Movie Texture is not using Unity's audiosource to play audio, videos are working fine.
     
  6. MarkDolby

    MarkDolby

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2015
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    So I contacted Oculus support and here is reply they gave me in regards to this problem:
    "There currently isn't a work around for this as we've seen some compatibility issues with bluetooth headsets and plugged in peripherals. Sorry about that!"
     
  7. shakhruz

    shakhruz

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2011
    Posts:
    43
    Thank you Mark!
    That means I can't have any sound in my apps on Gear VR? How can I ship an app that does not work with a bluetooth headphone? And I wonder how other Unity made apps actually shipped and work fine. Maybe DrashVR could help us out, he shipped Titans of Space and Mars is a Real place and they do have sound and work fine...
     
  8. MarkDolby

    MarkDolby

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2015
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    I haven't had a look myself but there might be something in the Oculus Audio SDK which solves the problem: https://developer.oculus.com/downloads/audio/1.0.0-beta/Oculus_Audio_SDK_Plugins/

    The new Gear VR is coming out soon as well so it might be possible that they have fixed the issue for that release somehow, as I contacted Oculus support last month.

    The alternative is to maybe just make your users aware of the potential issue with Bluetooth headphones until a solution is found :/
     
  9. shakhruz

    shakhruz

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    Feb 17, 2011
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    Thank you Mark!
    That's a good hint - I'll try the audio SDK
     
  10. Justin-Wasilenko

    Justin-Wasilenko

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2015
    Posts:
    103
    This is also happening in my game but for Google Cardboard. Is there any more information on why this is happening?
    It's a Unity issue then and not a Oculus issue if this happens on Cardboard as well.
     
  11. 5argon

    5argon

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2013
    Posts:
    1,555
    Wanted to add something to this thread what I found, that it is officially stated that Fast Audio Track does not work with bluetooth headphones. https://developer.android.com/ndk/guides/audio/opensl/opensl-prog-notes#perform

    Quoted from that page :

    Lower latency audio is possible for these outputs only:
    By their "low latency" it is not generally low latency, but being able to get a special fast mixer track from Android. When you have a wireless device connected all requests for fast mixer track automatically fails.