Modern high-end headphones and earbuds typically feature accelerometers and gyroscopes that facilitate spatial audio, creating an immersive listening experience through precise tracking of head movements. Sony's WF-1000 and WH-1000 series models include the necessary hardware, and a creative developer has discovered a way to leverage these sensors for in-game controls.
Developer Nicholas Slattery initiated a project named Sony Head Tracker, which is already compatible with hundreds of PC games, including popular titles such as Microsoft Flight Simulator and Assetto Corsa.
I made Sony headphones work as a free head tracker for 200+ PC games by u/NSlattery43 in pcmasterrace
While Sony headphones have the Android Head Tracker protocol integrated into their firmware, this feature is overlooked by Windows. Slattery's Sony Head Tracker app acts as a bridge between the headphone hardware and OpenTrack software, enabling compatibility with over 200 PC games and designed to work seamlessly with phones, webcams, and eye or IR trackers.
The currently supported models include Sony's WH/WF-1000XM6, WH/WF-1000XM5, and ULT WEAR (WH-ULT900N), as these are the only versions supporting spatial audio. In contrast, Apple's headphones and earbuds utilize a proprietary protocol, which renders them incompatible with Windows.
If you're a fan of PC simulator games and own a pair of compatible Sony headphones, this solution offers a budget-friendly enhancement to your gaming experience. Based on demo footage, the head tracking performance rivals that of VR headsets.
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