Getting used to head tracking: tips for the first days

It's completely normal for head tracking to feel a bit strange the first time. You turn your head, the view turns further than you expect, and for a moment it feels like you lose the screen. This feeling usually goes away after a few sessions and the movements start to come naturally. This post collects our tips for making those first days easier.

Keep your eyes on the screen

This is the most important head tracking habit. While you turn your head right, your eyes keep looking at the middle of the screen. Your head turns, but your gaze stays on the screen. At first you have to do it consciously; later it happens by itself.

In real life, when you check a mirror you turn your eyes along with your head. With head tracking, a small movement of your head becomes a big turn in the game. If you turn your eyes too, you end up looking at the edge of the screen. That's why it can feel tiring in the first days.

Start with low sensitivity

High sensitivity looks exciting on the first try, but it makes getting used to it harder. Small head movements shake the view and you end up tensing your head without meaning to. On the first day, start with around 1.5× for yaw and raise it over a few sessions as you get comfortable. We explain how to find the right value for you in our sensitivity post.

Your posture and the center

• Always sit in the same place. When your distance to the screen changes, the ideal sensitivity changes too.
• Recenter in a comfortable position. When recentering, sit upright but relaxed and look at the middle of the screen. If you recenter while leaning forward or to the side, you'll have to hold that position for the whole session.
• Keep the recenter shortcut within reach. The default is Ctrl+Shift+R, but assigning it to a button on your wheel or stick is much more practical. Recentering now and then becomes a habit.

Use pause

When you look at your phone, talk to someone or take a drink, your head turns whether you like it or not. With tracking on, these become sudden glances in the game. The pause shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+P) stops tracking and holds the view straight ahead. When you resume, it carries on where you left off. If you turn on Sound feedback in the app, you hear a short sound when you pause and resume.

If you feel dizzy

Some people feel slight dizziness or eye strain in the first days. This usually comes from the view moving differently than expected. These help:

• Lower sensitivity, especially pitch and roll.
• Keep roll very low. A tilting view is the movement that bothers people most.
• Don't push smoothing too high. A view that "floats" behind your head can also be uncomfortable.
• Start with short sessions in the first days and take breaks.

If the discomfort doesn't pass, stop playing and rest. Pushing through doesn't make you adapt faster.

Don't strain your neck

The point of head tracking is to turn your head less and see more in the game. With well-tuned head tracking you don't need to strain your neck. If you have to turn your head all the way to look over your shoulder, your sensitivity is too low. Remember to stretch your neck now and then during long sessions.

A small plan for the first week

• First day: complete the setup wizard and, with low sensitivity, just practise checking mirrors in a calm game (for example on the motorway in ETS2).
• A few days later: raise sensitivity a little and assign recenter and pause to your controller.
• As you get used to it: create a profile for each game and fine-tune with a response curve if needed.

If you get stuck, check the Support Assistant in the app or write to us from the support page.