Why is Tobii eye tracking not working in DCS World?

If Tobii Game Hub says “Unable to track game window,” fully close DCS World, open Game Hub first, and rediscover the executable for your actual Steam or standalone installation. Then relaunch DCS. If either program runs as administrator, give both matching privileges—preferably neither. Confirm the tracker works in Tobii software before testing again.

Fix “Unable to track game window” first

This message usually means Game Hub cannot attach its DCS profile to the running simulator window. A stale executable path is especially common after changing DCS editions, moving the installation or switching to a different DCS executable.

1. Close DCS completely. Exit to the desktop and check that no DCS process remains before continuing. Closing only the launcher or returning to the DCS main menu is not enough.
2. Identify the executable actually being used. Steam and standalone installations have different locations. If uncertain, launch DCS through the platform you normally use, find the running DCS process in Windows Task Manager and use its open-file-location command. Close DCS again before changing the profile.
3. Rediscover DCS in Game Hub. Use its scan, add-game or rediscovery control, depending on the installed Game Hub version. Select the DCS.exe that produced the running game window, not a desktop shortcut, updater or launcher. If the installation contains more than one executable location, use the one confirmed through Task Manager rather than assuming an older folder path is still correct.
4. Start Game Hub before DCS. Leave Game Hub running, then launch the same Steam or standalone edition whose executable you selected.
5. Match administrator privileges. DCS and Game Hub should run at the same privilege level. The preferred arrangement is to run both normally; elevating DCS alone can prevent Game Hub from communicating with it.

DCS Tobii Eye Tracker 5 compatibility and prerequisites

The supported consumer add-on generations for the DCS Game Hub integration are the Tobii Eye Tracker 5 family and Tobii Eye Tracker 4C. Eye Tracker 5 uses Tobii Experience, while the older 4C relies on Tobii Core software and its legacy driver support.

To verify the profile, open Game Hub and select DCS World from its games list. The profile must be enabled or selected where that option is offered, its head- and eye-tracking controls must be available, and any displayed executable path must match the edition you launch. A listed game icon alone does not prove that the profile is attached to the correct installation.

If the tracker is absent from Game Hub, repair its detection in Tobii Experience or Tobii Core first. If it works on the desktop but Game Hub identifies the model as unsupported or never offers a DCS profile, reinstalling DCS will not add compatibility. For a new installation, compare your setup with our complete Tobii and DCS setup sequence.

Tracking Hub and lens calibration updates

For DCS, the “hub” in this check is Tobii Game Hub; tracker setup and calibration are handled by Tobii Experience for Eye Tracker 5 or the legacy Tobii Core software for 4C.

1. Update the Tobii components. Install offered updates for Tobii Experience and Tobii Game Hub. For a 4C, check the applicable Tobii Core software instead of looking for Experience support.
2. Check device and firmware status. Resolve any warning, disconnected-device message or firmware prompt shown by the Tobii software before opening DCS.
3. Clean the lenses and sensor window. Use a clean, dry microfibre cloth. Do not spray cleaning fluid onto the tracker or press hard against its sensor window.
4. Select the active DCS monitor. In the tracker’s display setup, choose the screen carrying the mounted tracker and the main DCS render window. This matters on multi-monitor systems and after changing which display is primary.
5. Rerun calibration. Calibrate from the normal seated flying position, accounting for glasses if worn. Strong sunlight, reflections and sitting outside the tracker’s working area can interrupt detection.
6. Run the live tracking test. Confirm that both gaze and head-position indicators follow you smoothly in Tobii’s own test or visualisation screen. If they fail there, the fault is outside DCS.

How do I enable Tobii in DCS?

Enabling Tobii requires both an active Game Hub profile and a working DCS view input; changing only one side is not enough.

1. Activate the DCS profile in Game Hub. Select DCS World, verify the executable and enable the head- and eye-tracking contributions you want. Begin with moderate values rather than maximum sensitivity.
2. Set one recenter control. Assign a convenient centre or recenter command in Game Hub or the applicable DCS view controls. Do not assign several applications to recenter from the same button.
3. Launch in the right order. Keep Tobii software and Game Hub running, then start DCS World in desktop mode.
4. Inspect DCS Controls. Open the Controls screen for the aircraft being tested and inspect its View and Axis Commands categories. DCS may show Tobii output as TrackIR or a generic head tracker rather than as a dedicated Tobii device.
5. Check that the tracker is present. Six-degree-of-freedom view axes may be supplied automatically instead of requiring manual joystick-style assignments. If no head-tracker or TrackIR-style input appears after DCS starts, return to the Game Hub profile and executable checks; adding ordinary camera bindings will not repair a missing integration.
6. Test from a cockpit. Load a simple single-player mission, sit naturally, look straight ahead and press the one recenter command. Turn your head slightly left and right, then lean forwards and sideways. The cockpit viewpoint should rotate and translate; looking towards the panel edges should add gaze movement when eye contribution is enabled.

The TrackIR label does not mean you need to install TrackIR software. Adding another tracker application can create a conflict. Our DCS head-tracker axis and centring checks explain the shared input side in more detail.

Why does head tracking work but eye tracking do nothing?

If head movement changes the view but gaze adds no movement, DCS is already receiving Game Hub output. Recalibrate the eyes, confirm eye contribution is enabled in the DCS profile and raise that contribution gradually from zero.

Do not use the mouse pointer as the test. Tobii gaze normally contributes to cockpit camera movement; looking at a switch does not automatically move, select or click the cockpit cursor, and DCS need not display a visible gaze dot.

“Nothing is happening”, “I did the first step” or “still no joy”

These reports describe different failure stages, so the next useful action depends on where tracking stops.

Also disconnect or disable duplicate camera inputs when the view drifts, snaps back or moves without your head. Conflicting TrackIR-style output, VR runtimes and duplicated centre commands can all take control; use our checks for competing tracker software and privilege mismatches when DCS shows a TrackIR-style device.

Why does Tobii fail in only one aircraft?

A one-aircraft failure usually points to that module’s view or input configuration rather than Game Hub. Compare a second aircraft first. If the second works, back up the affected module beneath Saved Games\[DCS profile]\Config\Input, then rename or reset only that module’s input folder so DCS can rebuild it.

Can Tobii control the DCS cockpit view in VR?

A monitor-mounted Tobii tracker should be tested with DCS in desktop mode, not with the main cockpit view in VR. The headset supplies head position, while the monitor sensor cannot see eyes hidden behind the headset.

If DCS enters VR unexpectedly, disable VR for the Tobii test and close the headset runtime. Our explanation of desktop tracking versus headset tracking in DCS covers why these input methods are not interchangeable.

Should I reinstall DCS World?

Do not reinstall DCS until you have proved that the tracker works outside the simulator, Game Hub detects it and the correct DCS profile attaches to the running executable. A DCS reinstall cannot fix an unsupported tracker, stopped Tobii service, wrong monitor calibration or stale Game Hub path.

Before reinstalling anything, record the tracker model, Tobii Experience or Core version, Game Hub version, Steam or standalone edition, selected executable, administrator status and exact error text. Capture the DCS profile status and export Game Hub diagnostics or logs where that option is offered. This evidence is far more useful than a general “not working” report and prevents the same configuration fault from being recreated after installation.

If all aircraft fail despite a clean live tracking test and correct profile, repair or reinstall Tobii Experience and Game Hub before repairing DCS. If only one module fails, reset only that module’s input configuration rather than deleting every control binding.