Troubleshooting Common Issues

Having trouble with your new gaming head tracker? Don't worry, the solution is usually very simple. This guide covers the most common issues users encounter and how to solve them, getting your TrackIR alternative up and running smoothly.

1. Tracker Not Detected by Software

If your OpenTrack head tracker software isn't showing any input, start with the basics.

• Check Physical Connections: Ensure the USB infrared head tracker is firmly plugged into your PC. It's often best to use a USB port on the back of your computer (directly on the motherboard) rather than a front-panel port or an external USB hub, which can sometimes provide less stable power.
• Confirm LEDs are Working: The infrared LEDs are invisible to the naked eye. To check if they're receiving power, simply open the camera app on your smartphone and point it at the clip. You should see three faint purple dots of light on your phone screen. If you don't, there may be an issue with the USB port or the clip itself.

2. Tracking is Jittery or Unstable

This is the most common issue and is almost always caused by environmental factors interfering with the camera.

• Eliminate IR Interference: Your tracking camera is designed to see only the IR LEDs. However, other strong light sources like direct sunlight from a window, halogen bulbs, or even strong reflections off glasses or picture frames can create "noise" that confuses the camera. The best solution is to close curtains and ensure no bright lights are in the camera's direct line of sight.
• Adjust Camera Exposure: In OpenTrack, go into the PointTracker settings and open your camera's control panel. Turn off "Auto Exposure" and manually lower the exposure slider. The goal is to make the video feed completely black, so that the only things the camera can see are the three bright, distinct dots from your clip. This is the key to a rock-solid tracking experience.

3. View is Inverted or Moves Backwards

If looking left makes your view go right, or looking up makes it go down, you just need to invert the axis.

• In the main OpenTrack window, click "Options" and go to the "Output" tab.
• You will see checkboxes to "Invert" each axis. If your left/right movement is backward, check the box for "Yaw". If up/down is backward, check the box for "Pitch".

4. Tracking Not Working In-Game

If OpenTrack is working but your game isn't responding, check these two things.

• Start Order: Always start OpenTrack **before** you launch your game. This allows the game to detect the tracking protocol on startup.
• Check In-Game Settings: Some games, particularly older titles, may require you to enable "TrackIR" or "FreeTrack" in their control settings menu before head tracking will work.