Eye tracking promises to give gamers an edge, adjusting view as fast as you can glance. But does the reality match the potential?
What is it?
The SteelSeries Sentry Gaming Eye Tracker is a thin camera bar that attaches to your monitor. It incorporates tech from Tobii, a firm specialising in eye tracking, and can be configured to interact with your computer, making it accessible to applications outside of games.
Does it Work?
Frustratingly, yes and no. Set up is simple and proves terrifically accurate in tracking your eyes, even through glasses or contacts. The problem comes with actually using it in a game. Tested on three games and three system builds, results varied wildly in terms of both usefulness and functionality.
The Good
Assassin’s Creed: Rogue is the “killer app” for eye tracking, being a well-known series from a major publisher. Subtle glances sped up aiming at enemies, and enhanced the often beautiful panoramas with wider views. First-person dino-themed survival game theHunter: Primal gave the best experience though, with ocular camera control working well.
The Bad
AC: Rogue didn’t benefit from camera control, feeling overly fiddly. Simply twitching the thumbstick to move the camera was far simpler. Trying the Sentry on indie RPG Son of Nor was even worse – utterly useless. It’s meant to allow aiming, but appeared to have no effect, even after having been recalibrated numerous times.
The Verdict
Tobii’s tech has potential – but at present, it feels like that’s all it has. It seems to promise more accessibility and, possibly, integration with VR headsets than it does in conventional gaming, ultimately making for an expensive peripheral with few uses for most players.
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