Will TrackIR make my ED experience $150 better?
- Thread starter yul7896
- Start date
Yes, and no 
It's fun and useful, but the palaver with having to wear a headset to put the emitter on, and it's fragility - I'd suggest waiting until you have more free cash and get a Rift when it's released.
It's fun and useful, but the palaver with having to wear a headset to put the emitter on, and it's fragility - I'd suggest waiting until you have more free cash and get a Rift when it's released.
I have the Track IR 4, and NO, you won't get $150 worth just for ED.
ED works great, but it has limited forward to back zoom. So the ability to look left or right and then instinctively move my head forward to get a better look at the Left and Right panels is a bit limited. For me, it's simply easier to use a keystroke to bring up the left and right UI's as they give you a tighter zoom which is easier on my aging eyes. So I really only use it to track targets once they fly off forward view which it's great for that. It also gives me the ability to look around while my computer is docking me to the dulcet sounds of the Blue Danube Waltz.
I have Flight Simulator X as well, and in that game Track IR is almost indispensable. FSX 2d panels take up a lot of screen real estate leaving very little outside the plane view. Virtual cockpits are almost required but without track IR moving around views using a hat switch is a PITA. With Track IR, the entire experience is seamless and is as close to sitting in an actual cockpit as can be. look down, see the panel, look forward see out the window. If you need to look up over the panel, just move forward.... and look over the panel. It's difficult to describe in words how much it changes FSX for the better.
To be honest, Track IR in ED is "cool", in FSX it's essential.
I bought the Track IR 4 instead of the 5 for $99.00 and that seemed to be a little more reasonable, since the Ebay deal came with the ballcap (normally 10 bucks). Reviews have said that the 5 is better than the 4, but most reviews say that the 5 isn't so much better as to suggest users of the 4 upgrade. So that tells me, the 4 is "good enough" at 66% of the price of the 5.
I spent 99 bucks and the expenditure improves 2 games I own, one of them is pretty cool (E: D) and one is revolutionary (FSX). So it was a no brainer for me.
As with almost everything, however, YMMV.
ED works great, but it has limited forward to back zoom. So the ability to look left or right and then instinctively move my head forward to get a better look at the Left and Right panels is a bit limited. For me, it's simply easier to use a keystroke to bring up the left and right UI's as they give you a tighter zoom which is easier on my aging eyes. So I really only use it to track targets once they fly off forward view which it's great for that. It also gives me the ability to look around while my computer is docking me to the dulcet sounds of the Blue Danube Waltz.
I have Flight Simulator X as well, and in that game Track IR is almost indispensable. FSX 2d panels take up a lot of screen real estate leaving very little outside the plane view. Virtual cockpits are almost required but without track IR moving around views using a hat switch is a PITA. With Track IR, the entire experience is seamless and is as close to sitting in an actual cockpit as can be. look down, see the panel, look forward see out the window. If you need to look up over the panel, just move forward.... and look over the panel. It's difficult to describe in words how much it changes FSX for the better.
To be honest, Track IR in ED is "cool", in FSX it's essential.
I bought the Track IR 4 instead of the 5 for $99.00 and that seemed to be a little more reasonable, since the Ebay deal came with the ballcap (normally 10 bucks). Reviews have said that the 5 is better than the 4, but most reviews say that the 5 isn't so much better as to suggest users of the 4 upgrade. So that tells me, the 4 is "good enough" at 66% of the price of the 5.
I spent 99 bucks and the expenditure improves 2 games I own, one of them is pretty cool (E: D) and one is revolutionary (FSX). So it was a no brainer for me.
As with almost everything, however, YMMV.
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It is worth it in the sense that it will make you a better pilot.
It is worth it in the sense that it will enhance your in game experience by 10 fold.
It can feel very natural, if configured correctly.
I even find myself wanting to look up, left or any direction when playing other games that do not use track IR, even when watching in game movies on youtube or such, always a good laugh
It is allot of money, but i have track IR for like 8 years now, and looking back its the only "game" i still play after more then 8 years (could be 10 years) of purchase.
Rift is so... anti social, but i bet its a great experience, just not one my wife would bear for 5 hours on end, with track IR, your still in the same earthly environment then your wife/friends/girlfriend/man.
And with track IR i can maintain a healthy relationship with my wife too.
It is worth it in the sense that it will enhance your in game experience by 10 fold.
It can feel very natural, if configured correctly.
I even find myself wanting to look up, left or any direction when playing other games that do not use track IR, even when watching in game movies on youtube or such, always a good laugh
It is allot of money, but i have track IR for like 8 years now, and looking back its the only "game" i still play after more then 8 years (could be 10 years) of purchase.
Rift is so... anti social, but i bet its a great experience, just not one my wife would bear for 5 hours on end, with track IR, your still in the same earthly environment then your wife/friends/girlfriend/man.
And with track IR i can maintain a healthy relationship with my wife too
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If you can wait until the fist quarter of next year, that is without any more problems in it's development, then no. But I knew I would be buying one of the 3 or 4 V.R. sets when I brought mine for £150 not $150 six months ago now, so I knew that in about a year it may be obsolete so to speak yul7896.
The HTC/Steam V.R. set comes out before Christmas here in the UK this year, the Sony Mobius is getting upgraded with a better OLED screen now and with a faster 120 hz head tracker to compete with the better offerings from HTC/Steam and the rift, so that's not likely to be out before the first months of next year too chap. So that leaves the HTC/Steam V.R. set that has very similar specs to the rift but looks to be sold at around 50 to 100 pounds cheaper than a rift when it's released before crimbo. I would not buy the Sony product simply out of principles I have regarding Sony's bully-boy tactics to smaller companies and their less than stellar build quality which used to be excellent before the year 1990 but now seems just like many others with limited life-spans built into them so upgrades are needed sooner than expected, and when I am paying £250 to £450 I want to know that they are going to last a year at least before the screen go's bad or the lenses get damaged.
The HTC/Steam V.R. set comes out before Christmas here in the UK this year, the Sony Mobius is getting upgraded with a better OLED screen now and with a faster 120 hz head tracker to compete with the better offerings from HTC/Steam and the rift, so that's not likely to be out before the first months of next year too chap. So that leaves the HTC/Steam V.R. set that has very similar specs to the rift but looks to be sold at around 50 to 100 pounds cheaper than a rift when it's released before crimbo. I would not buy the Sony product simply out of principles I have regarding Sony's bully-boy tactics to smaller companies and their less than stellar build quality which used to be excellent before the year 1990 but now seems just like many others with limited life-spans built into them so upgrades are needed sooner than expected, and when I am paying £250 to £450 I want to know that they are going to last a year at least before the screen go's bad or the lenses get damaged.
put the $150 towards 8 months of DK2 use... or save it for the CV1.
I agree with the 2 post right above mine. Is it worth $150? I dont know, I gave less for mine but now that I have used it for a while, I cant play some things without it anymore. Not so great for everything though. I like the idea of the Rift and other such devices but like everything, there are give and takes in their use just as there is with a TrackIR. I dont regret getting mine. I use in the ED and FSX and its just killer for EuroTruck2. Honestly, I cant live without it.
I have a TrackIR 4 and a Rift DK2, after playing a few hours with the Rift I have found myself going back to TrackIR. It's just more confortable to use, you can see your keyboard (and eat/drink/whatever), you get to enjoy your monitor's high definition... Also it gives the game a rather cinematic feel, it looks like a cameraman is filming the thing since the view moves so naturally. Just watch a youtube video of the game with someone using TrackIR and you'll see. I think it's a good investment, but only if you don't want to play with the Rift when it comes out.
If the consumer Rift is good enough for my taste, I'll probably stop using TrackIR and only use the Rift. But I don't think it will be the case.
If the consumer Rift is good enough for my taste, I'll probably stop using TrackIR and only use the Rift. But I don't think it will be the case.
Its a great addition to a lot of games, including ED.. is it as good as a CV1 will be? no.. is it cheaper.. yes..
Ive rin trackIR on a lot of games for the last 2 years now, and its hard to play without it.. theres almost zero "getting used to it", it feels natural and expands your gameplay and just makes things easier to do.. like looking at the menus, or tracking a target around your ship..
if a game supports track IR now, I wont play without it, its simply one of those input devices you simply apreciate having when the game includes it.
Personaly, I just wear a hat with the reflectors on the visor.. i dont notice any improvement using the IR clip they have so i dont bother with it.. its just more wires going to your headset
Ive rin trackIR on a lot of games for the last 2 years now, and its hard to play without it.. theres almost zero "getting used to it", it feels natural and expands your gameplay and just makes things easier to do.. like looking at the menus, or tracking a target around your ship..
if a game supports track IR now, I wont play without it, its simply one of those input devices you simply apreciate having when the game includes it.
Personaly, I just wear a hat with the reflectors on the visor.. i dont notice any improvement using the IR clip they have so i dont bother with it.. its just more wires going to your headset
Like you, I too spent months flip-flopping over whether to buy one or not. On Monday this week I cracked. It was delivered on Tuesday and by Wednesday I was a total convert - absolute game changer!
Is it worth that much money? Who's to say ... it's better value than a Kate Bush ticket! Will it be more fun than 15 pints of beer? Probably. You know what ... it's totally worth it.
P.S. re: this ...
... this is only true of the more expensive "pro" version which I didn't get. All I have to wear is a baseball hat.
Is it worth that much money? Who's to say ... it's better value than a Kate Bush ticket! Will it be more fun than 15 pints of beer? Probably. You know what ... it's totally worth it.
P.S. re: this ...
... this is only true of the more expensive "pro" version which I didn't get. All I have to wear is a baseball hat.
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If you're not sure about it, just try the cheap solution first. For less than 15 Bucks you can build a tracking device with 3 IR LEDs and download a free software like headtracknoir. It's easy to build and easy to setup and you get almost the same effect. Oh... yeah you need a fast webcam too. I bought a new PS3 eye on youtube for about 15 bucks and it works great!
Yes + it works with many other games. I have 2...(One for my Laptop and one for Home PC)
Have you considered the ED Tracker?
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=15316&highlight=tracker
I bought one at Lavecon last year for £25 fully assembled. I use an Oculus Rift myself, but got it to make videos. I haven't used it a great deal, but it did the trick, and the guys that make it are working on a wireless version.
https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=15316&highlight=tracker
I bought one at Lavecon last year for £25 fully assembled. I use an Oculus Rift myself, but got it to make videos. I haven't used it a great deal, but it did the trick, and the guys that make it are working on a wireless version.
I love it. Spend a few minutes configuring it and it's amazing. The only caveat is being in a room with a lot of light. My apartment has light streaming in at a certain part of the day. Track IR goes nuts. I don't have the luxury of a small room, my comp is in the living room. I have to spend about 15 minutes pinning up blankets covering the crappy blinds leaking light beams. Then the kids play games on the tv shooting more beams at me.
The other negative is if you need to use a headset for voice. I just text other people and am not much of a wings person, so it's not a problem. The trackIR clip works great on my bose headphones (though it does scratch up the leather). I noticed all my headsets are much too thick for that to work, though.
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After the kids go to bed and the apt gets dark, it is very accurate and I can't imagine not having it. I routinely twist my head on games that don't use it expecting to look around. This happened last night on the Witcher 3 whilst riding a horse. I just want to look at the scenery!
The other negative is if you need to use a headset for voice. I just text other people and am not much of a wings person, so it's not a problem. The trackIR clip works great on my bose headphones (though it does scratch up the leather). I noticed all my headsets are much too thick for that to work, though.
Edit:
After the kids go to bed and the apt gets dark, it is very accurate and I can't imagine not having it. I routinely twist my head on games that don't use it expecting to look around. This happened last night on the Witcher 3 whilst riding a horse. I just want to look at the scenery!
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I only have experience with the edtracker http://www.edtracker.org.uk/index.php, its cheap and works great.