We do not normally review “gaming” accessories, but once in a while a product comes to our attention that is both cool and something we think our readers would be interested in.  Head tracking devices have been around for a long time, but they have traditionally been big, difficult to wear, and poor in performance.  The idea of head tracking for flight simulation, racing, and first-person shooting games has been tried many times, but usually with less-than-fun results.

NaturalPoint has been making head tracking accessories for a few years and has now released the new TrackIR 4 Pro.  The main unit is small, light, and sits on top of your monitor or clamps onto the lid of a notebook computer.  Simply place the unit above your screen, plug in the USB cable, and install the software.  The model 4 Pro features:

6 Axis / degrees of motion tracking
46 Degree field of view
120 FPS Sample Rate
25% greater response time than previous products
716x290 Resolution
Unit size without base 0.5"x.1.7"x1.1"
Base specially designed to attached to flat panel monitors
USB compatible

The TrackIR 4 Pro uses a 3 point metal Track Clip with a small reflector at the end of each arm.  The Track Clip is designed to attach easily to a baseball cap or visor.  While wearing the cap, the base unit sends out IR signals which bounce back to the receiver from the small reflectors.  By tracking the position changes of the reflectors, the TrackIR can effectively track your head movement on 6 axis of change.  The TrackIR can detect movement in six degrees of freedom (Pitch, Roll, Yaw, X, Y, Z) allowing the software to monitor every movement of your head.

The TrackIR comes with driver software as well as a program to test / monitor the performance and manage profiles created for different games.  A limited number of games are currently supported, but the list is growing.  I have tried Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 and RealFlight RC Simulator.  Both directly support the TrackIR and were easy to set up.  The performance was good and appears to only use 2%-4% of the CPU resource.  Flying the simulation with the ability to move my head around to change the view of the world was extremely cool.  Of course the screen position does not change, so when you turn your head left, right, up, or down, the view changes a greater angle than your head is actually moving so that you can still be viewing forward towards the screen.  The current list of supported games is mainly comprised of flight simulation and racing.  A few first-persons shooter and other types are on the list and the level of support varies.  Check the web site to see if your favorite game is listed.

The TrackIR 4 Pro comes with the Base Unit, Reflector Track Clip, Software CD, and manual.  It is expensive for a gaming accessories and I was surprised that a hat for the track clip is optional.  Of course you can use any visor or baseball cap so using the TrackIR 4 Pro is easy and comfortable.  One major problem I did have was bright lights or reflective surfaces in the room being detected by the TrackIR and confusing the software, so I recommend turning down the lights in the room when you are using the head tracking.

While this product is not for everyone, if you are a big fan of flight simulation or racing games on your computer, the NaturalPoint TrackIR 4 Pro can definitely add a new, immersive dimension to your games.

Pros
Easy to install
Small and Compact
Good performance

Cons
Expensive
Lights in room can affect performance
Limited software support, but growing

-Harvey Lee
Senior Technology Editor

Product:  TrackIR 4 Pro Optical Head Tracker
Manufacturer:  NaturalPoint
Web Site:  http://www.naturalpoint.com
Category:  Mobile / Hardware
Price:  $179.95
Supported Devices: Windows based PC with USB Port.