TrackIR worth the hefty price?

WallysWorld · October 01, 2016, 09:00:52 PM

Just been playing Rise of Flight and also learning Wings Over Flanders Fields while just using the joystick hat for the snap views to look around. Using the mouse is quite clumsy for me while trying to work the joystick at the same time.

I keep on reading that TrackIR is worth the high price for flight simulators and that most people say that it's definitely worth it. Even without purchasing the Pro clip and just using the hat reflectors.

Can anyone who has TrackIR or even used to offer any comments on it? I'm really torn between getting it or putting up with the snap views in my flight simulator games including IL2 1946.

Many thanks for any and all comments.

ArizonaTank · October 01, 2016, 09:18:22 PM

I highly recommend it. Makes all the difference in playing Rise of Flight for me. I can't imagine playing War Thunder without it either. It is not so much for immersion (but it does help with that). For me the value is that my head / neck are just so much more accurate in controlling my camera view than my thumb, and moving my head to control view is just so much more natural.

SirAndrewD · October 01, 2016, 09:47:57 PM

I never really thought Track IR was worth it.

Then I bought one after I had a tax return one year.

Yeah, I was pretty brutally wrong. I honestly can't play a flight sim without it. It's brutally amazing in OFF, IL2-1946, Rise of Flight and Elite Dangerous.

Snap views have absolutely nothing on the immersion Track IR offers.

Kushan · October 01, 2016, 10:02:14 PM

Definitely worth it IMO. I couldn't go back to playing Elite or Prepar3D without it.

Con · October 01, 2016, 10:52:50 PM

A question for you flight simmers out there.

What if any is the advantage of better screens and TrackIr etc over VR?

I was thinking that the new occulous rift would render all this other technology obsolete. Is it to soon or not "good" enough?

Con

Silent Disapproval Robot · October 01, 2016, 11:00:50 PM

Get one. I can't play flight sims or ArmA without one now. It's like trying to fly with only one arm.

Richie61 · October 01, 2016, 11:22:12 PM

Works well on sim racing games too :)

vyshka · October 02, 2016, 01:02:38 AM

Quote from: Con on October 01, 2016, 10:52:50 PM
A question for you flight simmers out there.

What if any is the advantage of better screens and TrackIr etc over VR?

I was thinking that the new occulous rift would render all this other technology obsolete. Is it to soon or not "good" enough?

Con

I think the problem would be that you can't see your keyboard or your hotas setup inside a rift or vive.

JudgeDredd · October 02, 2016, 01:13:03 AM

Yes

It's taken me several buys and several sells to eventually buy (3rd time) and enjoy it. DCS and Elite are superb. I don't like using it for my driving games, but perhaps that's just through lack of use. I tend to drive where I'm looking so having my head moving about isn't ideal.

And my latest love - F1 2016 - doesn't support it anyway and that's pretty much what I'm racing at the moment.

Grim.Reaper · October 02, 2016, 03:19:21 AM

Its great and I think worth every penny. Its also something that has longevity for the price, its not like they are coming out with new models every year. I have had mine for several years and no regrets and has helped me in flight sims and other type of games.

Staggerwing · October 02, 2016, 05:49:08 AM

Quote from: vyshka on October 02, 2016, 01:02:38 AM
Quote from: Con on October 01, 2016, 10:52:50 PM
A question for you flight simmers out there.

What if any is the advantage of better screens and TrackIr etc over VR?

I was thinking that the new occulous rift would render all this other technology obsolete. Is it to soon or not "good" enough?

Con

I think the problem would be that you can't see your keyboard or your hotas setup inside a rift or vive.

Doesn't one of the two headsets have a small down-looking camera built into it? I thought that Jarhead mentioned something about it after he got his VR set.

Father Ted · October 02, 2016, 07:06:29 AM

If you've got the dosh and like flightsimming then definitely get it. For a few years I used a free-ware version which would be worth looking into if don't want to fork out. There are actually a few apps (Freetrack, Open Track, FacetrackNoIR). Freetrack is probably the best, though unsupported at the moment. You can make a track-clip or buy the pukka one from Natural Point (about £30 I think) and use a PS Eye camera (about £10). Takes a bit of fiddling, but does the job almost as well as the real product.

Like the others said - I wouldn't flightsim without headtracking.

sandman2575 · October 02, 2016, 08:03:44 AM

Just being redundant, but emphatically Yes.

Once you to Track(...IR), you'll never go back.

Toonces · October 02, 2016, 08:30:26 AM

I won't flightsim without it. I've had mine for what has to be about 10 years, so it's built to last as well.

Two firm thumbs up.

Yskonyn · October 02, 2016, 09:53:30 AM

Like those above; I consider it a primary piece of gear for simming!