Head tracking options

[CTB]

Not sure if this is the right forum for this but I’m considering head tracking.

Currently use two hats for pov and movement but these have limitations, especially in dogfighting.

so am looking at trackers. Obviously track ir is the go to as it has been around the longest but there are newer and cheaper alternatives. I think I have looked at them all, or at least most of them.

but there are two things I would like to consider:

prefer not to have a wearable (unless it can be head/ear mounted) as I dont use a head set just now 

ir seems the most accurate vs face tracking but prolonged exposure can cause eye damage

 

so curious as to what people use on here and what they might have done to overcome the above.

would prefer to buy something that comes with its own camera/receiver, I don’t use a webcam. Also don’t like vr.

 

[SharpeXB]

6 hours ago, CTB said:

ir seems the most accurate vs face tracking but prolonged exposure can cause eye damage

These things use low-intensity LEDs which are unlikely to cause damage. Plus you aren’t looking directly into it.

TrackIR is certainly the best option. Unless you’re in a country with exorbitant prices this is the way to go. I haven’t ever used other devices but from what I read they require too much fiddling. TrackIR works right out of the box. The face or eye tracking devices like Tobii aren’t supported in DCS and need workarounds. No harm in trying these out though if there’s a return policy. 

Edited August 17 by SharpeXB

[Scott-S6]

On 8/17/2025 at 9:04 AM, CTB said:

ir seems the most accurate vs face tracking but prolonged exposure can cause eye damage

Not at these power levels. Plus, if you have an active tracker (i.e. there are LEDs on the part you are wearing) then you can disable the camera's LEDs.

[JimF1]

I got a DIY Head Tracker from SWC Products called TrackIT Pro, and I can honestly say it's been fantastic and only a fraction of the cost of a TrackIR and does the same job. Check them out.

[samtheeagle]

I use SmoothTrack: Head Tracker by John Goering, making use of a mobile phone as the camera/processor. Coupled with opentrack I get good quality tracking with no need to attach things to my head! Not affiliated, just a big fan. Been using it for a while now…