Using an eye tracker and HTC Vive Pro Eye

Summary

• When using Tobii Eye Tracker and HTC Vive Pro Eye headset on the same computer, Tobii Service is stopped by Vive Pro Eye software. This means that Tobii Eye Tracker and related applications stop working on the computer.
• Tobii Eye Tracker can start working again by manually restarting Tobii Service in Task Manager - Services or by restarting the computer. 

Is this guide for you?

Tobii’s external and built-in Eye Trackers are used with a number of applications such as
Windows Gaze interactions (Eye control etc.), Tobii Experience, Tobii Ghost and 140+
games. HTC has recently launched the Vive Pro Eye, their first eye tracking VR headset.

We wrote this guide because the software for Vive Pro Eye headset stops Tobii Service on
the PC. For Tobii Eye Trackers to work, Tobii Service needs to be running on the PC. We
are working with HTC on this but, until a fix is rolled out, this guide will help you to get your
Tobii Eye Tracker working again when Tobii Service is stopped.

Example of what happens if Tobii Service is stopped

• Let's say that you use Tobii Eye Tracker with some eye tracking applications on your
  PC.
  • Tobii Eye Trackers are used with a number of eye tracking applications such as
    Windows Gaze interactions (Windows Eye Control etc.), Tobii Ghost, Tobii Core Eye
    Tracking software, Tobii Experience and 140+ games.
• You have set up an HTC Vive Pro Eye headset on your PC.
• You notice that applications on your PC that need Tobii Eye Tracker stop working
  after installing Vive Pro Eye software or whenever you use eye tracking in your Vive
  Pro Eye headset.
• The reason why your Tobii Eye Tracker is not working is because the Vive Pro Eye
  software has stopped the Tobii Service.

Windows Eye Control and Tobii Core software not working (Tobii Eye Tracker is
unavailable) because Vive Pro Eye software has stopped Tobii Service

How to check Tobii Service?

1.  Open “Apps & features” and make sure that Tobii Eye Tracking software is installed.

2.  Open “Task Manager” and select “Services” tab. Generally, you will see that Tobii Service is
    “Running”. If Vive Pro Eye software was installed on your PC or you used eye tracking in your
     Vive Pro Eye headset, Tobii Service may have been “Stopped”.

How to fix it? – Restarting Tobii Service

• If Tobii Service is stopped, on restarting it, Tobii Eye Tracker will start working again.
• Before restarting Tobii Service, make sure that Vive Pro Eye is not using eye tracking.
• Use one of the methods below to restart Tobii Service.

Method 1 – Restart computer

Restarting the PC will also restart the Tobii Service.

Method 2 – Restart service manually

Open “Task Manager” and select “Services” tab. Right-click on “Tobii Service” and click on “Start”. As
a result, the Tobii Service will start running again.

What causes stopping of Tobii Service?

Installing Vive Pro Eye software installs an application called SR_Runtime (Vive-Super-
Reality_Runtime) on your PC. Whenever you use eye tracking with your Vive Pro Eye headset,
SR_Runtime stops the Tobii Service. As a result, your Tobii Eye Tracker stops working.

SR_Runtime running on a PC after installation of Vive Pro Eye software

What does not stop the Tobii Service?

• Performing actions in Steam VR that do not use eye tracking will not stop Tobii Service (e.g.
  playing games with no eye tracking, etc.).
• SR_Runtime does not automatically start after a PC reboot so it will not stop Tobii Service.

Disclaimer

• When in use, eye tracking in Vive Pro Eye headset may stop working if Tobii Service is
  restarted.
• Broken hardware or software is not in the scope of this guide. We assume that your
  hardware and software are functioning properly.
• New information may be published without making amendments to this guide.
• This guide is not showing the current status which means that it is possible that Vive Pro Eye
  software no longer stops Tobii Service.