In this paper, the viscous effects of shock reflection hysteresis in steady supersonic flow is studied analytically, experimentally and numerically, taking the boundary layer developed over the reflecting surface into consideration. Based on a hypothesis that the interaction origin keep invariable during the shock–boundary layer interaction, the separation region is replaced by a virtual wedge with a fixed angle. Combined the free-interaction theory with the shock reflection hysteresis theory, a detailed analysis describing the viscous flow structures of shock reflection configurations is proposed. It is illustrated by mean of further analysis that a shock reflection hysteresis which is similar to the one that exists in the reflection of symmetric shock waves is found theoretically. Experimental results verify the analytical interaction model as well as the existence of two shock reflection patterns, although the hysteresis is not conformed by experiments. This paper also presents results of simulations for the hysteresis process which results from keeping the wedge angle constant and changing the free-stream Mach number, for confirming the hysteresis phenomenon.