Set up MSFS head and eye tracking with TrackIR, Tobii or OpenTrack, and fix centring, jitter, dead zones and detection problems.
To set up head or eye tracking in Microsoft Flight Simulator, install and calibrate the device’s software first, start it before the simulator, enable its MSFS profile or TrackIR output, then bind centre and pause controls. Tune head movement, gaze influence, dead zones and smoothing from a stable cockpit seating position.
These steps apply to the PC versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024. Menu labels and available controls can differ between versions, and desktop TrackIR, Tobii and OpenTrack configurations rely on Windows software rather than console support.
Which tracking system should I use for MSFS?
Choose TrackIR for dedicated head tracking, Tobii when you want combined head and gaze movement, or OpenTrack when using a webcam, phone or another compatible sensor.
| System | What it tracks | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| TrackIR or compatible optical tracker | Head rotation and translation | Predictable six-degree-of-freedom cockpit movement with relatively little configuration |
| Tobii Eye Tracker | Head position and eye gaze | Tracking without a reflector or headset, with optional gaze-assisted viewing |
| OpenTrack with a webcam, phone or sensor | Usually head position | Flexible or lower-cost setups where extra calibration and filtering are acceptable |
| VR headset | Head position through OpenXR | Flying inside a VR cockpit rather than using desktop view tracking |
Eye tracking is not a substitute for head tracking in most cockpits. Eyes make rapid movements between instruments, so unrestricted gaze control makes the camera twitch. A good combined profile lets the head perform most of the turn while gaze adds only a small extension.
How do I set up head tracking in MSFS?
- Mount and calibrate the tracker. Position its camera or sensor centrally with an unobstructed view of your face, reflector or illuminated clip. Complete calibration in the manufacturer’s software before opening MSFS.
- Check tracking outside the simulator. Turn and lean through the full range you expect to use. Fix lost tracking, reversed axes or unstable points here rather than compensating with extreme in-game settings. A mistake we see constantly is tuning MSFS while the device’s own preview is still losing the target.
- Select the correct output. Native TrackIR hardware uses its TrackIR interface. With OpenTrack, choose the appropriate camera or sensor as the input and a TrackIR-compatible output unless the companion application specifically requires SimConnect. Run only one program that provides this output.
- Establish the normal seating position. Load the cockpit, place the pilot’s eyepoint at the correct height and distance, and set a comfortable field of view. It helps to save a repeatable cockpit viewpoint before adding tracking offsets.
- Start the tracker before MSFS. Enter the cockpit and enable the tracking option if your camera settings expose one. Native tracking should not require ordinary look-left, look-right or camera-axis assignments.
- Bind centre and pause commands. Assign them in the tracking software to unused joystick or keyboard controls. Avoid a key already used by MSFS, an overlay or a screenshot function. Sit naturally, look at the middle of the screen and press centre.
- Tune one axis at a time. Set yaw and pitch first, then add lateral, vertical and fore-aft translation. Add roll only if it feels natural; excessive roll is a common cause of discomfort.
For a webcam or phone tracker, filtering usually needs more attention than with a dedicated optical sensor. Add only enough smoothing to remove visible shake, because heavy smoothing creates a delayed, floating response.
How do I configure Tobii eye tracking?
A Tobii setup needs accurate display calibration first, followed by an enabled Microsoft Flight Simulator profile in the tracker’s game-profile software.
- Mount the tracker squarely to the display. Update its monitor geometry if the screen or tracker has been moved.
- Calibrate gaze for the person flying. Wear the same glasses or contact lenses used during simulation. Recalibrate if the pointer consistently falls to one side of the intended target.
- Enable the MSFS profile. For supported Tobii hardware, Microsoft Flight Simulator controls are normally exposed through Tobii Game Hub. Start that software before launching the simulator.
- Test head movement by itself. Temporarily reduce or disable gaze influence. This separates a head-tracking fault from an inaccurate eye calibration.
- Add gaze gradually. Keep head movement dominant and use gaze only to extend the view towards a side window, overhead panel or instrument. Airliner panels generally benefit from less gaze influence than wide VFR cockpits.
Do not confuse gaze-controlled camera movement with selecting cockpit controls. They are separate behaviours, and enabling gaze as a pointer when it is not wanted can make switch operation frustrating.
What head-tracking settings work best in MSFS?
The best profile keeps the view stable around the centre while allowing a full cockpit scan without forcing you to look away from the monitor.
- Yaw and pitch: use a gentle response near the centre and increase the curve farther out. This preserves instrument stability but still lets you check behind the wing or look overhead.
- X, Y and Z translation: keep movement restrained. Add enough to lean around a windscreen pillar or approach the panel without letting the viewpoint clip through the seat or cockpit shell.
- Dead zone: use the smallest central dead zone that prevents unwanted movement. A large dead zone produces a noticeable jump as tracking starts.
- Smoothing: raise it only until jitter disappears. If the view trails behind your head, reduce smoothing before changing the response curve.
- Gaze influence: start low. Increase it only when looking towards the screen edge does not disturb instrument reading or switch operation.
Save separate profiles when aircraft need materially different movement. A compact airliner flight deck and a helicopter with large side windows rarely feel right with identical translation and gaze settings.
Why is head or eye tracking not working in MSFS?
Most detection failures come from launch order, the wrong output protocol, a disabled camera option or two tracking programs competing for control.
The tracker works in its software but not in the cockpit
- Close MSFS, start the tracking software first and relaunch the simulator.
- Confirm that the correct MSFS game profile or TrackIR-compatible output is active.
- Check that tracking is enabled in the simulator’s camera settings and that you are testing from a normal cockpit view rather than the drone camera.
- Close duplicate providers such as a second OpenTrack instance or another virtual TrackIR application.
- Do not reinstall SimConnect for native TrackIR or Tobii support. If an external companion application explicitly uses it, follow our steps to check and repair the MSFS SimConnect connection.
The view jitters, drifts or loses tracking
Recalibrate first, then check the sensor’s view for sunlight, reflective objects, partial face coverage or a clip moving out of frame. Reduce USB connection problems by testing a direct port, and add a small amount of filtering only after the physical signal is stable.
For eye tracking, verify the display geometry and user profile. If head movement is clean but the view wanders when gaze is enabled, reduce gaze sensitivity or increase its stabilisation rather than altering the head curve.
The camera jumps or moves twice as far as expected
Disable the second tracking source and remove any ordinary camera-axis bindings that duplicate the tracker’s output. TrackIR and OpenTrack should not both provide head pose at the same time. Re-centre only after loading the intended base cockpit view.
Does MSFS head tracking work differently in VR?
VR head movement is supplied by the headset through OpenXR, so desktop TrackIR, Tobii head tracking or OpenTrack should normally be disabled while flying in VR. Our PC VR setup instructions cover the runtime, headset tracking, VR activation and camera recentering.
Eye tracking built into a VR headset may be used for features such as gaze interaction or foveated rendering when supported by the headset, runtime and relevant software. It does not automatically behave like Tobii’s desktop gaze-assisted camera control.