Starting VPX tables in Desktop or VR?

[pcraenme]

Now PBX has become stable on my system I am added more and more tables to it and also using it more and more to play pinball on my desktop. But I have not used it in VR (Quest 3) yet. I play VPX tables in Desktop and VR. Sometimes I prefer Desktop, sometimes VR, for the same table (vpx file). Is there a way to choose from the PBX frontend what VPX executable you want the use (e.g. Start in VR, Start on Desktop). For desktop I always use the 64 bit DX version of VPX and for VR the 64 bit OpenGL. A possible workaround would be adding all tables twice, but… that is no ideal of course.

[Tom Speirs]

There is no way to chose executable dynamically in the UI but it is a great feature request. you could pick to play game with a different executable.

i did think you needed specially designed tables for vr but maybe i am wrong on that.

[Tom Speirs]

I really like that idea so I just added it. 

new version out in a minute.

[pcraenme]

2 hours ago, Tom Speirs said:

 

There is no way to chose executable dynamically in the UI but it is a great feature request. you could pick to play game with a different executable.

i did think you needed specially designed tables for vr but maybe i am wrong on that.

I was considering posting this a a feature request, but was not sure this may be possible already. I knew there is alternative exe support, and maybe that could be used somehow.

Most new or updated tables that support VR now are ‘hybrid’ tables (e.g. all the tables VPW is releasing have this). They detect automatically if you are playing in desktop or VR mode.

[pcraenme]

5 hours ago, Tom Speirs said:

I really like that idea so I just added it. 

new version out in a minute.

Thanks Tom for adding this, also at this short notice! Just tested it and it works great.

[Mike_da_Spike]

7 hours ago, Tom Speirs said:

I really like that idea so I just added it. 

new version out in a minute.

Nice one, Tom!

I do have one question though:
Would it also be possible to add an alternate command‑line parameter?

For VR I use a different VPX setup than for my cabinet. At the moment I created a second system entry in PinballX that points to the same table files, but launches VPX with a different INI file through the command line as well.

Having an additional “alternate parameter line” alongside the alternate EXE would make this workflow much cleaner and more flexible.

And great thought to also make the alternate parameter available in the TEXT section of settings.exe.
If I have a free moment, I will add it to the manual and will send it to you

 

[Tom Speirs]

That is done. Note that the alternate parameter setting is not optional.

[pcraenme]

@Mike_da_Spike You read my mind on the TEXT for the ‘Play Alternate’. I upgraded already again to the new version and added the text “Play in VR”.😄

@Tom Speirs Thanks for another quick update. You mentioned the alternate parameter is not optional, but when I upgraded the alternate parameters value was empty in the settings. I copied the value of the normal ‘Parameters’ to it manually. But I could als make that value empty again, so having a value in it is not enforced by the Settings program?

[Tom Speirs]

not enforced by the settings application but by pinballx.

[pcraenme]

@Tom Speirs @Mike_da_Spike

Having this option now to start tables in VR, made me think of another additional new VR feature that would be nice to have. VPX tables need to have support for VR to be able to run them properly in VR. I was looking in DBM and PBX (Game Manager) if there was an attribute for VR, but there is none that fits the bill. If such an attribute would be available, to make use of it in PBX, it should be possible to make it visible for the selected table. That way you can see, if the table has VR support, so you can start it in VR or not. VPS and VPU have this info for most of the tables as well by the way.

The VR attribute could have several values:
1. No VR support  (= Table has no VR support)
2. Hybrid VR (=  Table script detects automatically if VR is used or not)
3. Manual VR (= VR needs to be enabled in the table script manually, some 'older' VR supported tables still have this)
4. VR Only (= Table only works in VR, not sure if such tables exists by the way)

[Mike_da_Spike]

6 hours ago, pcraenme said:

@Tom Speirs @Mike_da_Spike

Having this option now to start tables in VR, made me think of another additional new VR feature that would be nice to have. VPX tables need to have support for VR to be able to run them properly in VR. I was looking in DBM and PBX (Game Manager) if there was an attribute for VR, but there is none that fits the bill. If such an attribute would be available, to make use of it in PBX, it should be possible to make it visible for the selected table. That way you can see, if the table has VR support, so you can start it in VR or not. VPS and VPU have this info for most of the tables as well by the way.

The VR attribute could have several values:
1. No VR support  (= Table has no VR support)
2. Hybrid VR (=  Table script detects automatically if VR is used or not)
3. Manual VR (= VR needs to be enabled in the table script manually, some 'older' VR supported tables still have this)
4. VR Only (= Table only works in VR, not sure if such tables exists by the way)

Thanks for the suggestion, it’s definitely an interesting idea, and I can see why having VR capability visible per table would be convenient.

From my point of view, though, this might be a bit too specific for just one system.
PinballX is designed to stay quite system‑agnostic, and I’m not sure how Tom feels about adding a dedicated VR attribute on the database level. Personally, I think the existing fields already offer enough flexibility to achieve something similar. For example, fields like Description or even Rating can be used to tag VR‑supported tables and filter them in a way that works for your own setup.

So this is just my opinion, of course, but I believe the current metadata options already provide a workable solution without needing a new VR‑specific attribute.

[pcraenme]

1 hour ago, Mike_da_Spike said:

Thanks for the suggestion, it’s definitely an interesting idea, and I can see why having VR capability visible per table would be convenient.

From my point of view, though, this might be a bit too specific for just one system.
PinballX is designed to stay quite system‑agnostic, and I’m not sure how Tom feels about adding a dedicated VR attribute on the database level. Personally, I think the existing fields already offer enough flexibility to achieve something similar. For example, fields like Description or even Rating can be used to tag VR‑supported tables and filter them in a way that works for your own setup.

So this is just my opinion, of course, but I believe the current metadata options already provide a workable solution without needing a new VR‑specific attribute.

I understand your point of view Mike. I already was looking for possible solutions within the current options PBX and DBM offer. Creating a List ‘VR’ within the ‘Visual Pinball’ system with only tables that support VR is an option. But then these tables would have to be added twice to also make them appear in ‘All Tables’ and the created list for ‘VR Tables’. Why isn’t the ‘All Tables’ filter not displaying all the tables for the ‘Visual Pinball’ system? The new ‘VR’ list is a subset of all tables within the Visual Pinball system?

Using any of the current metadata options is also a possibility, but it will have to be visible within the PBX frontend. Using the Rating for this looks like the only user-friendly option, because it is visible and you can easily filter on it. Using the Description field is also an option, but then you need to access ‘Information’ from the PBX menu to make that visible. It works, but not very practical.

[pcraenme]

I have found a solution now. I am using the 'Comment' field for VR information and use @scutters PBXStatsDisplay V2_3 plugin to display the information. The standard Information option in PBX is not showing that info, so it is nice to have the plugin.

@scutters Why does the PBXStatsDisplay V2_3.zip file contain 2 DLL's? PBXStatsDisplay.dll and PBXStatsDisplay1.dll.

[Mike_da_Spike]

3 hours ago, pcraenme said:

I have found a solution now. I am using the 'Comment' field for VR information and use @scutters PBXStatsDisplay V2_3 plugin to display the information. The standard Information option in PBX is not showing that info, so it is nice to have the plugin.

@scutters Why does the PBXStatsDisplay V2_3.zip file contain 2 DLL's? PBXStatsDisplay.dll and PBXStatsDisplay1.dll.

Although I'm not @scutters, i think I can answer that question. 

A while back, some dude from the Netherlands wanted to use two plugin instances, so he could have scrolling info on his backglass and show the ticker on his playfield. Even though it was years ago, that quirky Dutch guy is still using both instances.

 

Edit: found an old post: https://forums.gameex.com/forums/topic/23213-plugin-pinballx-statistics-display/page/4/#findComment-210819

 

[scutters]

On 5/9/2026 at 11:00 AM, pcraenme said:

@scutters Why does the PBXStatsDisplay V2_3.zip file contain 2 DLL's? PBXStatsDisplay.dll and PBXStatsDisplay1.dll.

@Mike_da_Spike is correct, it's so you can have two instances of the plugin running at the same time. So you could e.g. have high scores on one display and comment text on another, or on the same screen, or whatever really..  if you only want/need one instance then only enable one in plugin manager.