Good evening CMDR Ladies, and CMDR Gentlemen.
Some months ago, I was lucky enough to help test the new wireless EDTracker. For those who do not know, if you do not have the kind of cash or hardware that allows a VR experience via a Rift or a Vive, you have one other option - and that is head-tracking software & hardware.
There are already heavily marketed devices such as Track IR for this - but they tend to be a bit expensive and require you to pin something to your monitor to "capture" your head movement.
The guys at EDTracker came up with a better (IMHO) solution, and are currently prototyping their wireless option.
I'll say it now - I am unable to comment on the price-point of this when it becomes available, but I am allowed to say that it will be cheaper than the Track-IR solutions. Those of you reading this who have Track-IR or equivalents will notice that I am commenting on head-tracking as a whole a lot of the time - and that's a decent focus.
So what is it?
The wireless EDTracker is a small device that weighs about as much as a packet of 10 Benson & Hedges Gold. In fact, here's a packet of smokes for scale:
It comes shipped with the battery disconnected (so you'll have to connect it yourself - this is not laziness on behalf of the technicians - but compliance with postal laws in the UK). It also comes with a cable to charge.
From there, you have an application to calibrate the device so that you can orientate it to your environment. Spacial awareness requires some configuration so that the magic little black box knows where it exists in your personal universe. From there, it's plain sailing. Run the software, attach it your favourite headset (with the audio quality of Elite Dangerous - you'd be a heretic to play it without headphones - but I digress), and then you're up and running.
I was a little skeptical at head-trackers at first (EDTracker or otherwise), because I fancied myself having to look up at the ceiling to look up in game. Thankfully, that's not the case. The tracker monitors your head movements and scales it appropriately - so you can configure things to what works for you. I preferred less on the up/down than on the right/left - but that's just me.
Alright, why do I want one?
Immersion would be the easiest response here - but I'll let it slide. VR Users already have this capability - but head-trackers bring something equally important. And that is time-on-target. If you have a HOTAS (or if you don't), you're pretty much in control of your ship - and without VR or head-tracking, you're always looking straight ahead. This reduces your situational awareness.
With VR/head-tracking, you now have some semblance of that. Instead of staring ahead, you can be looking where you want to go, and control your ship accordingly. I do not have a PVP example, but I did knock this little video up that I hope illustrates the differences between looking straight ahead, and looking where you want to be. I apologise for the video editing - I'm not particularly au-fait with it.
[video=youtube;LupNY5c7rJc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LupNY5c7rJc&feature=youtu.be[/video]
I don't do much combat - but I figure that any of you who are PvP-orientated, and who aren't using any VR or head-tracking, can instantly see the appeal of being able to have your view more on the target than where your ship is pointed.
Mr Kicks why does the video stop when you're obviously on the wrong side of the hatch?
The Little boy decided at that exact moment to intervene and find out about head-tracking. Bless his cotton socks.
TL;DR; The EDTracker is a cost-effective alternative to VR (and it doesn't matter what kind of card you have - that's an instant win).
Please direct all questions to the guys at the EDTracker site - they have produced a fantastic prototype and I think that this interest is deserved. Although I have been given the prototype for free and have had discussions about the way it works - I'd be quite happy to lay down some green for this - so wanted to expose it for the better.
For the record, neither Dan or Rob @ EDTRacker asked me, or required that I write this review - I'd just like to get it out there for those who don't realise that very soon - there's a viable, and better, alternative to Track-IR.
Disclaimer: My experiences are my own, and if you have had different ones in the past - that is not my concern. This entire post is based off my experiences over the last month, checking out a prototype.
Love and Kisses,
CMDR KIcks
Some months ago, I was lucky enough to help test the new wireless EDTracker. For those who do not know, if you do not have the kind of cash or hardware that allows a VR experience via a Rift or a Vive, you have one other option - and that is head-tracking software & hardware.
There are already heavily marketed devices such as Track IR for this - but they tend to be a bit expensive and require you to pin something to your monitor to "capture" your head movement.
The guys at EDTracker came up with a better (IMHO) solution, and are currently prototyping their wireless option.
I'll say it now - I am unable to comment on the price-point of this when it becomes available, but I am allowed to say that it will be cheaper than the Track-IR solutions. Those of you reading this who have Track-IR or equivalents will notice that I am commenting on head-tracking as a whole a lot of the time - and that's a decent focus.
So what is it?
The wireless EDTracker is a small device that weighs about as much as a packet of 10 Benson & Hedges Gold. In fact, here's a packet of smokes for scale:
It comes shipped with the battery disconnected (so you'll have to connect it yourself - this is not laziness on behalf of the technicians - but compliance with postal laws in the UK). It also comes with a cable to charge.
From there, you have an application to calibrate the device so that you can orientate it to your environment. Spacial awareness requires some configuration so that the magic little black box knows where it exists in your personal universe. From there, it's plain sailing. Run the software, attach it your favourite headset (with the audio quality of Elite Dangerous - you'd be a heretic to play it without headphones - but I digress), and then you're up and running.
I was a little skeptical at head-trackers at first (EDTracker or otherwise), because I fancied myself having to look up at the ceiling to look up in game. Thankfully, that's not the case. The tracker monitors your head movements and scales it appropriately - so you can configure things to what works for you. I preferred less on the up/down than on the right/left - but that's just me.
Alright, why do I want one?
Immersion would be the easiest response here - but I'll let it slide. VR Users already have this capability - but head-trackers bring something equally important. And that is time-on-target. If you have a HOTAS (or if you don't), you're pretty much in control of your ship - and without VR or head-tracking, you're always looking straight ahead. This reduces your situational awareness.
With VR/head-tracking, you now have some semblance of that. Instead of staring ahead, you can be looking where you want to go, and control your ship accordingly. I do not have a PVP example, but I did knock this little video up that I hope illustrates the differences between looking straight ahead, and looking where you want to be. I apologise for the video editing - I'm not particularly au-fait with it.
[video=youtube;LupNY5c7rJc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LupNY5c7rJc&feature=youtu.be[/video]
I don't do much combat - but I figure that any of you who are PvP-orientated, and who aren't using any VR or head-tracking, can instantly see the appeal of being able to have your view more on the target than where your ship is pointed.
Mr Kicks why does the video stop when you're obviously on the wrong side of the hatch?
The Little boy decided at that exact moment to intervene and find out about head-tracking. Bless his cotton socks.
TL;DR; The EDTracker is a cost-effective alternative to VR (and it doesn't matter what kind of card you have - that's an instant win).
Please direct all questions to the guys at the EDTracker site - they have produced a fantastic prototype and I think that this interest is deserved. Although I have been given the prototype for free and have had discussions about the way it works - I'd be quite happy to lay down some green for this - so wanted to expose it for the better.
For the record, neither Dan or Rob @ EDTRacker asked me, or required that I write this review - I'd just like to get it out there for those who don't realise that very soon - there's a viable, and better, alternative to Track-IR.
Disclaimer: My experiences are my own, and if you have had different ones in the past - that is not my concern. This entire post is based off my experiences over the last month, checking out a prototype.
Love and Kisses,
CMDR KIcks
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