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This free app turns Sony WH-1000XM5 into head trackers for PC gaming
July 3, 2026
- A new open-source app turns the Sony WH-1000XM5 and other compatible Sony headphones and earbuds into a head tracker.
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The app uses the built-in motion sensors already found in supported Sony audio devices, letting you naturally look around in racing and flight simulators by moving your head.
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The project is community-built, requires no firmware hacks or extra hardware, and even had assistance from Claude during development.
PC gamers often spend hundreds of dollars on accessories to make racing and flight simulators feel more immersive. If you already own a compatible pair of Sony headphones or earbuds, though, you might not need another gadget. A new open-source app, called Sony Head Tracker, can tap into the motion sensors already built into these devices.
The clever part is that Sony never designed these sensors with Windows gaming in mind. They’re normally used for features such as Spatial Audio, wear detection, and automatic switching between noise cancelation and ambient sound. This community-built app simply unlocks another use for hardware that’s been there all along.
With this, you can turn your head to look around instead of relying on a mouse or keyboard shortcuts. Imagine flying a plane and glancing out the cockpit window by physically turning your head to the left, or checking your mirrors in a racing game with a small head movement. It’s the kind of feature that usually requires dedicated head-tracking hardware.
The app reads orientation and gyroscope data from supported Sony Bluetooth headphones and earbuds and sends that information to Windows applications through tools like OpenTrack. So much so, you don’t even need a webcam, infrared tracker, firmware modifications, or custom drivers. Once you pair your compatible headphones with a Windows 11 PC and launch the app, it automatically detects the built-in sensors and starts streaming your head movements while the app is running.
Besides gaming, the app also gives power users a closer look at the motion sensors inside their Sony headphones. It can display live information about your head’s movement, making it easier to check whether the sensors are working correctly. There’s also a compatibility tool that lets users test other Sony headphones and earbuds to see if they expose the same motion sensors, potentially expanding support to more models over time.
The developer says the app currently works with several Sony models, including the WH-1000XM6, WF-1000XM5, LinkBuds, LinkBuds S, LinkBuds Open, LinkBuds Fit, and ULT Wear. That said, community testing is still ongoing, so support may vary by device.
Speaking of which, yes, AirPods have motion sensors too. Unfortunately, Apple keeps them locked to its own ecosystem and doesn’t support the Android Head Tracker protocol this project uses, so you can’t use AirPods as a head tracker with this app.
The project’s creator, Nicholas Slattery, also notes that Claude helped develop parts of the open-source tool. More importantly, though, the project shows how a bit of community ingenuity can unlock capabilities that were hiding in plain sight. If you own a compatible pair of Sony headphones, you may have just discovered a feature you didn’t know you already paid for.
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