TrackIR 5 Head Tracking System – 6DOF USB Optical Motion Tracker for PC Gaming – Natural Head Movement Camera for Flight, Racing & Combat Simulators – Windows Compatible by NaturalPoint

I have debated getting a Track IR since they first started making them. I was never sure I would like such a device, and have sometimes, though not often, experienced some nausea when gaming across multiple monitors, playing first-person shooter games like Half-Life 2. I fly helicopters in MS Flight Simulator X quite a bit, and decided it might make landing easier. Trying to maintain controlled flight in a helicopter and simultaneously use a hat switch to look around and down at the ground when landing has always proven to be quite a challenge. I would usually end up making a mistake on the stick just before touchdown and either speed up and miss the helipad or end up flying backwards before touching down.So, I finally decided to try one, and bought the TrackIR 5 Pro. I really like it!The unit itself is very small. Currently the picture displayed is accurate. So I'll say that the width of the square black IR camera with the rounded front, sitting atop the 3 legged mount, is just over 2". The instructions, as the picture here shows, tell you to put the 2 legs on the front edge and one leg on the back edge of the upper bezel on your LCD display. However, on my AOC center display, there really isn't much of an "edge" along the top. The case slopes back away from the top edge. It would not sit that way, and wanted to fall. But by simply reversing the legs so the single leg is on the front, and spreading the 2 legs along the back (they pivot inward and outward) I was able to make it sit there very nicely. The single leg has a notch intended to secure the USB cable. I can't use that with the legs reversed, but the cable drapes nicely down over the back of my Triplehead displays and around to its USB port.Although the instructions advise avoiding ANY type of USB hub, even if powered, I find that my powered ULTRA USB Hub (switches 7 ports between 2 PCs) works quite well with it. Otherwise I would have needed to use an extension cable since my PC is just a little too far away for the included cable, which I think is 6 feet long.Setup is very easy. There is no software included, just a URL to the TrackIR site to download the software. I use Windows 7 x 64 bit, so checked to verify that is supported by the latest version 5.1 software. Once the software was installed, I encountered the first minor issue. When the TrackIR software icon is clicked to open it, there is a rather unnerving delay of nearly 20 seconds while it loads, during which NO INDICATION AT ALL is provided to tell you it is loading. I have an up to date PC running a Core I7-860 CPU with 8GB RAM and a GTX 460 video card, so normally things happen fast enough. So my first thought is "why isn't it loading". It does load, and runs very well. It just takes this delay EVERY time I load it. They should have included at least a progress bar or something. Minor, but worth mentioning to keep others from wondering why it 'isn't working' during those first seconds.The Track IR program window is very attractively designed, and impressed me. Until I wanted to "SAVE" the changes I made to the default profile. The menu for the SAVE action is not across the top of the window as one expects in pretty much every Windows OS app. The button is only a floppy disc icon, very light gray, and virtually "hidden" from view down in the lower portion of the window under Advanced Settings. It can be very hard to find, and will actually scroll out of sight if you have a wide-screen display! Poor planning on their their interface design. I also later found out that apparently it is not possible to save changes to the "default" profile. They do not stay changed. I had to create a new profile, make the changes, and then save that.But those are the only 2 minor complaints I have. Aside from those, this thing is AWESOME.All I had left to do setup-wise was install the Tracking Clip to the visor of a ball cap. I have read some reviews saying the early versions of this clip were cheaply made plastic. The one they included is actually stamped out of metal sheet, and nicely painted with black wrinkle-finish paint. It has 3 rounded tabs on which they applied highly reflective silver tape, much like that used on a reflective road sign for night visibility. It seems very sturdy.The actual interface on the TrackIR window is fun to play with, as it graphically maps where you are looking in a 3D globe coordinate system. Having already started the Track IR program, it instantly pickup up and displayed data from the hat as soon as I oriented it anywhere near the camera. My first impression at that moment was that the sensitivity might be too intense, while playing with the TrackIR window. But I suggest you actually try it in a game before thinking of adjusting any settings, because it seemed just right once I used it in FSX.I was up and running in FSX in no time. The only change I had to make at all was that by default they chose to use the F9 key to "Pause" the Track IR. I use the F9 key in FSX to switch from external to internal cockpit view, so I re-assigned their Pause key to CTRL+P, since FSX uses the "P" key.I feel this device adds a lot of realism when using a flight simulator, and it has no problem at all re-centering my view simply by moving my head back to the middle of my displays. There is a centering button defined as F12, which does allow a certain amount of customization. For example, if you look around and when you come back to front center you decide your view is a bit high or low for what you want, you can move your head in the opposing direction (say upward a bit), press F12, and then move your head back down, and it will then give you a slightly lower view from what it considers the 'center' position.There are further adjustments which can be made, and in fact you can create several different profiles if you like, but I have yet to explore that area. The default settings work really well in FSX. including the default "dead zone" for center, which is narrow, but seems just right. I presume you can adjust the percentage of how far you turn your head vs. how far the on-screen view changes, but they seem to have also made that just right from the very start, at least for someone with wide-screen displays.I recommend this to anyone who would like more visual realism in PC gaming!

Love the Trackir for my flight sims, HOTAS setup. Can’t fly without one. I have the Trackir 4 but bought the Trackir 5 mainly because the older one broke off its mount, my fault, and adjusting it was tough. The Trackir is suppose to be better in a lot of ways but seems the same. Haven’t put a lot of time on it, however.Mounts and sets up easily. Just make sure the 3 green lights are aligned are centered properly in the setup to prevent tracking dropping out intermittent.

Amazing camera. Full compatible with My both simulators.. easy to use and install. Thank You so much

works great, sometimes it gets out of line when you get up out of your chair and go do something. But the f12 resets the camera so it works really well.

A friend of mine bought one of these and I got to try it out first before I bought mine. I was sold on it immediately.For my purposes, I currently use it for Microsoft Flight Simulator and Warthunder. It's ridiculously easy to set up, just plug it in, download the software, then grab a hat to attach the hat clip and you're good to go. It works seamlessly with the games, all you have to do is open the TrackIR software first before you open the game. I didn't have to change any settings or anything, literally plug and play interface.What I like about this is that you have awareness of your surroundings vs being blind to everything around you in VR. It's a lot more convenient, a lot less intrusive in PC resources, not to mention a fifth of the cost.Wherever you move your head, it follows, and it's VERY accurate and smooth. For those of you that like to fly tail-draggers like I do, this allows you to open the canopy and stick your head out to see past the nose of the aircraft when taxiing. Not to mention be able to look around and find all your switches for startup procedures.10/10 would definitely recommend.