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     Two games that I have in the inventory that support the TrackIR Enhanced mode are Flight Simulator 2004 and Lock On: Modern Air Combat. After changing the key assignments of the TrackIR control software it was time to jump in the cockpit. Lock On was the first simulator of choice and the results were amazing! As expected, there was a learning curve on my part because I just didn't need the POV switch on the joystick anymore. Old habbits die hard and it took some getting used to when the POV switch didn't work like it used to. Going after ground targets and doing a quick Check-6 are now effortless. A small head movement towards the shoulder, all the while easily keeping my eyes on my monitor, gave me a great view out over the wings of the aircraft. Since a game like Lock On uses almost all 360° of view, there will be times when things get a little interesting. Such as; if you ever physically move your head down to look at you're real world keyboard, the view on the simulator changes with your movement which haves you looking at the instrument cluster in the cockpit. How's that for realism? Just warn folks in the room beforehand that you aren't being rude just because you're not looking at them while your talking.

     The dead zone adjustment is very handy in the early days of TrackIR usage because flight simulators, especially combat flight simulators,  can really make head movements seem exaggerated. Even though you're only reacting to your environment with what may seem like the slightest head movement, it can have very large effects on screen. This can be particularly dangerous during landing or have ill effects during bombing runs. Remember that you can always switch OFF the TrackIR and use your joysticks POV hat switch at any time. However, once you do a little customizing by adjusting the sensitivity levels you will truly appreciate what Natural Point has accomplished with the TrackIR.

     Third party software is already being developed and supported for the TrackIR. A program called TrackMapper is available which allows you to map keyboard commands based on the location of the pointer. This can be used to adapt any program you use to be manipulated with the TrackIR, such as the scroll, zoom, and pan commands in a 2D or 3D Real Time Strategy game. Based solely upon a graphical user interface, commands are easily programmed and can be recalled later by use of the Profile options. TrackMapper is a free download and is made by: Koji "KAF" Sato

<Link to Natural Point's video collection>

     Obviously, still photographs just won't do the TrackIR 3-Pro any justice, and the folks at Natural Point have a collection of video's that demonstrate the capabilities of the TrackIR 3-Pro very well. Everything from a short 30 second TV commercial to over 3 minutes of running documentary footage is there for display. The movies are in .WMV and most will stream right into Windows Media Player with a good broadband connection. Natural Point not only showcases the Flight Simulator aspect of the TrackIR, but the racing game perspective as well. These movies are definitely worth the viewing time. <Linked by permission of Natural Point public relations>

     Conclusion..........

     Gaming gadgets are always hard to summarize because so much depends upon the likes and dislikes of individual users. I have seen many great joysticks get thrown in the trash because of a button being too hard to press or the base was too big. Things like this are always wide open to interpretation and each user must make his or her own decision whether or not it will stand the test of time. This is most true with items like the TrackIR because the sensation is entirely mental. Aside from a small dot that has to have located within the sensors field of view, there is nothing to touch once the TrackIR's drivers are up and running.    

     Natural Point has revised the drivers for the TrackIR since its release and as the product name implies, this is the third model in the products lifetime. That suggests that Natural Point believes in product support and customer satisfaction. In fact, as more games and simulators adopt native support for the TrackIR system, Natural Point "collaborates with the development team to create a profile that we jointly believe provides the best viewing experience."

     " We add the ability to recognize the app to our driver and as long as the app is running, when you load the sim, it will default to the appropriate profile.  From here, of course, users can fine tune their experience...even share profiles on forums, etc...but we do try to get you started out of the shoot with what NaturalPoint and the Developer feel are good settings. "

          SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:  Natural Point would like to extend a personal invitation to Club Overclocker readers by offering a $25 U.S. Dollar discount towards your purchase of a TrackIR 3-Pro. Simply use the link provided below to take advantage of this offer. Good until September 30th, 2004.

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