3 Best Eye Tracker & Head Tracker Options for Microsoft Flight Simulator

Comparing the Beam Eye Tracker with other leading head and eye tracking solutions for Microsoft Flight Simulator

Table of Contents

• Head Tracking vs. Eye Tracking in Flight Simulator Games
• Comparison of Top Eye Tracker and Head Tracker Solutions for Microsoft Flight Simulator
• Detailed Comparison Table
• How to Set Up Head and Eye Tracking with the Beam Eye Tracker in Microsoft Flight Simulator
• User Testimonials
• Supported Games
• Beam Eye Tracker Features Beyond Gaming
• Frequenty Asked Questions

Head Tracking vs. Eye Tracking in Flight Simulator Games

Head tracking and eye tracking serve as gateways to deep immersion in flight simulator games, each contributing to a cohesive in-game presence.
Head tracking, a well-established and widely embraced technology in gaming for many years, involves physical movements like turning your head to explore the virtual environment. This engaging approach adds a dynamic and interactive element to your gaming experience, though it may sometimes be less suited for relaxed gaming sessions where minimal movement is preferred.

Eye tracking, in contrast, leverages the subtle, effortless motion of the eyes to enhance your field of view, inviting a more natural layer of interaction that marries your sight to the game's visuals without the need for overt gestures. Combining head and eye tracking creates an incredibly immersive experience in flight simulator games. This fusion blends the subtle movements of your eyes and head, resulting in a unified interaction with the in-game camera that feels natural and immersive.

Comparison of Top Eye Tracker and Head Tracker Solutions for Microsoft Flight Simulator

Beam Eye Tracker: Supercharge Your Webcam With AI

At Eyeware, we've developed an innovative eye tracker that transforms your webcam (or smartphone) into a gaming eye tracker using our advanced AI-powered algorithms. No additional hardware is required. Beam Eye Tracker is the first software of its kind to offer eye tracking and smooth 6 Degrees of Freedom (DoF) head tracking, supporting frame rates above 60FPS (for compatible webcams like the Logitech Brio or ElGato Facecam) for intuitive camera control in games. It uses the OpenTrack extension as an intermediary open source solution to enable eye tracking in over 200 games, including Microsoft Flight Simulator.

No webcam? No problem. You can easily transform your smartphone into a high-quality webcam by selecting one of the many free apps available, for more info you can check here. There is also the option to use FaceID-enabled iOS devices as trackers, offloading the processing from the PC to the iPhone or iPad and taking advantage of an increased tracking robustness using the 3D TrueDepth selfie camera.

TrackIR: Dedicated Infrared Head Tracker

TrackIR features an IR sensor mounted on your monitor and an emitter that attaches to your headset or cap. It's a preferred choice for robust head tracking in gaming, known for its responsiveness and accuracy, as well as direct game integrations. While setting up the emitter can be a bit cumbersome, the precision it offers is unparalleled. It's a worthwhile investment for those who desire a dedicated tracking device.

Tobii Eye Tracker 5: Dedicated Infrared Eye Tracker

The Tobii Eye Tracker 5 provides both eye and head tracking capabilities. As a leader in eye tracking solutions with extensive game integrations it's a premium choice.
The Tobii device attaches to the bottom of your monitor and may sometimes be obstructed by other peripherals. For a comprehensive tracking experience without the need to attach an emitter to your headset or cap, Tobii is a solid option.

Comparison of Top Eye Tracker and Head Tracker Solutions for Microsoft Flight Simulator

Solution	Beam Eye Tracker	TrackIR	Tobii Eye Tracker 5
Type	Software	Hardware & Software	Hardware & Software
Eye Tracking	Yes	No	Yes
Head Tracking	Yes	Yes	Yes
Frame Rate	30 - 120 FPS (60FPS+ for supported high frame rate webcams, e.g. Logitech Brio, ElGato Facecam)	120 FPS	90 FPS
Hardware Required	None (Uses existing webcam or smartphone with webcam app)	IR sensor on monitor and emitter placed on headset or cap	IR device
Setup Complexity	Easy (requires OpenTrack extension)	Moderate	Easy (potential obstruction issues)
Price	$29.99 one-time ($4.99/month plan available)	~ $150	~ $300
Uniqueness	First-ever gaming eye tracker using your webcam (or smartphone + webcam app)	Highly robust tracking	Eye tracking under very low lighting conditions

How to Set Up Head and Eye Tracking with the Beam Eye Tracker in Microsoft Flight Simulator

Find here the step-by-step instructions on how to setup the Beam Eye Tracker with OpenTrack. Once you have Beam and OpenTrack running, you can start Microsoft Flight Simulator and head and eye tracking will be active.
Important: Please ensure that in the MSFS settings, TrackIR is selected as an input. A moving Octopus in OpenTrack indicates successful connection with Beam.

Microsoft Flight Simulator integrates head and eye tracking technologies seamlessly, allowing players to enhance their in-game experience through intuitive control of the camera view using natural head and eye movements. Incorporating the Beam Eye Tracker for head and gaze tracking in Microsoft Flight Simulator elevates situational awareness and interaction. Pilots can seamlessly scan the skies, focus on waypoints and aircraft, and navigate complex flight paths with precision and ease.

User Testimonials

We’re happy to count on a growing community of Beam enthusiasts worldwide joining the AI-powered eye tracking revolution for immediate access to more immersive gaming:

"By using webcam capabilities, Beam Eye Tracker is opening up the market for head and eye tracking for gaming enthusiasts, streamers, and content creators.” – Nightmare_se, Twitch Streamer

"Simply the best way to track head and eye movements in games like Assetto Corsa without expensive hardware!" – AP_101

"I tried the demo on a lark and it makes my webcam tracking work a million times better in SC. Definitely recommend giving it a try" – User on reddit

Supported Games

Beam Eye Tracker supports a variety of games through the OpenTrack extension:

Space Simulation Games

• Star Citizen
• Kerbal Space Program
• Elite Dangerous
• Star Wars: Squadrons

Flight Simulation Games

• War Thunder
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020
• Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition
• Top Gun: Maverick Expansion
• IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles
• IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad
• DCS World
• DCS World Steam Edition
• X-Plane 11
• AeroFly FS2

Racing Simulation Games

• Assetto Corsa
• Assetto Corsa Competizione
• F1 2023
• F1 2022
• iRacing
• Dirt 5
• Project Cars 3

Driving Simulation Games

• Euro Truck Simulator 2
• American Truck Simulator
• Farming Simulator 22
• BeamNG.drive
• Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop
• Dirt 5

FPS Games

• Arma 3
• DayZ
• Insurgency: Sandstorm

For a full list, visit here.

Beam Eye Tracker Features Beyond Gaming

Multi-Screen Pointer & Mouse Jumping

Enjoy seamless tracking across multiple screens and reduce the physical movement needed to move your cursor with Mouse Jumping. The software provides an efficient, streamlined experience without sacrificing your range of motion.

Presence Detection & Privacy Filter

Boost your security with the presence detection feature, automatically locking your screen when you're not present. Enhance privacy with the Privacy Filter, blurring parts of your screen that you're not looking at, providing an additional layer of protection for your sensitive information. Beam operates in real-time, right on your device without generating, storing, or transferring any biometric data or video recordings.