PiHead Head tracking in Euro Truck Simulator 2: setup and recommended settings
Euro Truck Simulator 2 is the game we tested PiHead Tracker in the most. We did long drives with the device on our heads and saw first-hand how much head tracking changes this game. Instead of reaching for the mouse to check a mirror, a small turn of the head is enough, and checking left and right at a junction feels like a real truck. This post covers how we set up head tracking in ETS2 and the settings we started with. American Truck Simulator runs on the same engine, so everything here applies there too.
How the game detects head tracking
ETS2 and ATS support the TrackIR protocol out of the box, so you don't need a plugin or a mod. When the game starts, it looks for a TrackIR-compatible program on the computer and uses head tracking automatically if it finds one. While PiHead Tracker is running, the game sees the device as TrackIR.
The order matters here: open PiHead Tracker first, check that the device is connected, and only then start the game. If you open the app after the game is already running, the game may not find head tracking. In that case, just restart the game.
Step-by-step setup
- Open PiHead Tracker and check that it says Connected at the top. If you haven't run the setup wizard yet, do it now; it takes about a minute.
- Start the game. Once the connection is made, the game's name appears at the top of the app.
- Switch to the cabin camera in the game. The default key is 1.
- Look straight at the screen and recenter once (default Ctrl+Shift+R). If Recenter when a game connects is on in the app, this first recenter happens automatically.
- Turn your head left and right to test it. The view should turn the same way as your head.
If the game doesn't use head tracking at all, open config.cfg in the Euro Truck Simulator 2 folder under your Documents and look for the g_trackir line. Its value should be "1". Close the game and make a backup before you edit the file.
The settings we started with
These values aren't the one right answer, but they were a good starting point for us. Your screen size and distance from the desk are different, so we suggest adjusting them over a few drives.
| Setting | Starting value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Yaw (left-right) sensitivity | Between 2.0× and 2.5× | Turning your head 25-30° shows the right mirror comfortably while your eyes stay on the screen. |
| Pitch (up-down) sensitivity | Around 1.5× | You don't look up and down much in a truck. When it's high, small head movements shake the view on the road. |
| Roll (tilt) | Low | The game barely uses roll by default, more on that below. |
| Smoothing | 40-60% | Removes jitter on a straight road without adding noticeable lag when you check a mirror. |
| Auto recenter | Light | Small drift that builds up on long drives disappears without you noticing. |
A response curve for the mirrors
The movement you make most in ETS2 is looking at the left mirror, the right mirror and back at the road. A response curve helps a lot more here than a flat sensitivity. The app's Quick look preset stays calm in the center and speeds up towards the edges, so the view doesn't shake while you watch the road, yet a small turn of the head takes it all the way to the mirror.
The right mirror is farther away than the left one, so some players struggle when looking right. Because the curve works the same in both directions, the fix is not the curve but raising yaw sensitivity until the right mirror feels comfortable. We cover curves in detail in our response curve post.
We recommend saving these settings in a separate profile for ETS2. While the game is running, create a new profile for it in the app's Game Profiles section. Next time you start the game, the profile is selected automatically, and the Default profile comes back when you switch to other games.
Why roll doesn't work
In ETS2 you may notice that tilting your head sideways doesn't rotate the view. This isn't the device; the game keeps roll off by default. If the Roll indicator in the app moves, the device is measuring the tilt. Community forums describe turning it on by changing the c_ht_roll value in the controls.sii file of your player profile. This isn't an official setting, so it may not work in every game version. If you want to try it, back up the file first. Even with it on, most people find roll uncomfortable while driving, so keeping it off seems right to us too.
Leaning forward and the neck model
ETS2 can also use head position, so with position-tracking systems like TrackIR, leaning forward moves you forward in the cabin. PiHead Tracker only measures rotation, not position. Instead, the app has an experimental Neck model option. When you turn your head, your eyes move along a small arc around your neck, and this option sends that small shift to the game too. Looking to the side feels more natural. If the movement goes the wrong way, tick Invert position direction.
Common problems
- The view doesn't turn at all: check whether the game's name appears at the top of the app. If it doesn't, leave the app open and restart the game. If opentrack or the TrackIR software is open, close it; only one tracking program can run at a time.
- The view drifts to one side: make sure the device sits firmly on the headset and leave it on the desk for a minute before you start driving. More in our drift post.
- The view shakes while watching the road: raise smoothing a little or try the Soft center curve for yaw.
- The view moves when you look at the map or your phone: pause tracking (Ctrl+Shift+P). You can also assign this shortcut to a button on your wheel.
You'll find the general steps for other games in the user guide and the list of supported games on the games page.