OSC (Open Sound Control) is a messaging route that lets compatible apps exchange control values; it is not Steam Frame’s eye-tracking system. Valve documents Steam Frame eye tracking through OpenXR and OpenVR interfaces. Steam Link can also share gaze data with other apps through OpenXR and, when OSC is enabled, OSC. For an avatar to use that data, the runtime settings, software route and target app must all support the relevant connection.
What does OSC do in VR games?
OSC is a protocol applications can use to send and receive messages containing parameters or control values. In VR, an app might use OSC to change avatar parameters, read them back, or accept input mapped from controllers and other peripherals.
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VRChat’s May 25, 2022 release announcement describes those uses in its OSC API, including external eye tracking and face tracking as possible sources of avatar input. It is an example of what an OSC-enabled app can do—not evidence that every VR game accepts OSC or uses eye tracking. See VRChat’s release announcement.
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There are several distinct layers: Steam Frame’s eye tracker produces data, a supported runtime interface exposes it, and an application or bridge can consume or forward it. OSC is one possible messaging route between applications; it is not another name for OpenXR or OpenVR.
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Valve’s documented eye-tracking interfaces
Valve documents Steam Frame eye tracking through the OpenXR extension XR_EXT_eye_gaze_interaction. For OpenVR, it names IVRInput::GetEyeTrackingDataRelativeToNow and IVRInput::GetEyeTrackingDataForNextFrame; use requires creating an action of type eyetracking. See Valve’s Steam Frame documentation and Steam Frame Input documentation.
Steam Link’s sharing option
A SteamVR release note dated August 9, 2024 says eye gaze may pass through OpenXR when sharing is enabled in Steam Link settings. It also says users of the older OSC-sharing option need to enable the newer setting labelled “Share eye tracking data to other apps on this PC”; that setting enables sharing through OpenXR and through OSC when OSC is enabled. The note records behavior and wording for that release, so the current UI label may differ. See the SteamVR 2.8.2 release note.
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What the official material does not establish
Valve’s cited pages name interfaces but do not specify Steam Frame eye-tracking sampling rate, accuracy, calibration procedure or a general OSC address-and-value schema. The cited SteamVR note describes sharing behavior, not a universal setup for every application.
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There is no basis in the cited material for promising a plug-and-play path for every setup. VRChat’s release announcement confirms OSC uses such as avatar parameter changes and external tracking input at its May 2022 release, but it does not establish that Steam Frame eye data automatically reaches VRChat today. First identify which route your software supports:
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| Route | How the data reaches an app | What must support it |
|---|---|---|
| OpenXR | A compatible application reads eye gaze through XR_EXT_eye_gaze_interaction. |
The runtime and target application must support the extension; Steam Link sharing may need to be enabled. |
| OpenVR | An application reads eye data using Valve’s named OpenVR functions. | The application must implement the interface and create an eyetracking action. |
| OSC | Eye data is shared to an application using OSC when the applicable sharing option and OSC are enabled. | The sending software and receiving app must agree on the OSC messages and supported parameters; the cited Valve pages do not define a general Steam Frame OSC schema. |
| Third-party UDP bridge | An intermediary reads headset data and forwards packets to a PC-side module. | The bridge, module and receiving app must be compatible and maintained; this is not the same as Valve’s public API. |
One unofficial example is FrameEye Bridge. Its README describes a headset-side app reading from the device’s eye-tracking service and sending UDP packets to a PC-side VRCFaceTracking module. Treat it as a third-party implementation, not an official Valve OSC format or a required route. Check the project’s current maintenance and compatibility before relying on it.
- Check whether your intended VRChat tracking setup reads Steam Frame data through OpenXR, OpenVR, OSC, or a bridge. Do not assume support for one route implies support for the others.
- If using Steam Link sharing, look in its current settings for the eye-tracking sharing option. The August 2024 SteamVR note says the option enabled OpenXR sharing and OSC sharing when OSC was enabled; verify the current wording and behavior in your installed version.
- Confirm that the receiving software supports the same route and can map the incoming values to VRChat avatar parameters. VRChat’s OSC announcement documents the app-side capability, but the particular sender and parameter mapping depend on your setup.
- If using a third-party bridge, follow that project’s own current instructions and verify each component’s compatibility rather than treating the bridge as a Valve-supported requirement.
The available documentation does not provide enough information to prescribe a single current VRChat setup path or guarantee that a particular configuration will work.
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