HOTKEYS
Hotkeys
A hotkey is a key or button that triggers a Beam Eye Tracker action while your game or another app has the focus: a keyboard key, a mouse button, or a button on a gamepad, racing wheel, flight stick, or arcade stick.
You set them under General > Hotkeys: click a binding and, when it shows PRESS A KEY OR SHORTCUT, press the key or button you want. The actions are listed below with their default bindings.
General Hotkeys
Enable or disable the tracker (ON/OFF).
Use this hotkey to quickly recalibrate the eye tracker while also recentering the Immersive Camera to your current head pose as follows: 1) press and hold to display one calibration point; 2) position your head comfortably, facing forward; 3) look at the point; 4) release. Takes effect only while the Tracker is active. This process can be done quickly.
Open or hide the tray window to control the main features.
Enable or disable Eye Tracking Overlay. Note that the Eye Tracking Overlay is only visible while the Tracker is active.
Immersive Camera
Pause the Immersive Camera while keeping the in-game camera position at the current position. Press again to resume.
Pause the Immersive Camera while the in-game camera points forward, to the centered position. Press again to resume.
Enable or disable the Camera Response to Eye Movements. Applies only to the current Immersive Camera profile.
Enable or disable the Camera Response to Head Movements. Applies only to the current Immersive Camera profile.
Productivity & Privacy
Trigger the mouse jump action.
Enable or Disable Privacy Filter and control how your privacy is protected with a fast keyboard action.
Each row shows three controls when you hover over it:
Add Hotkey (assign an additional hotkey to this action)
Set Default (assign the default hotkey for this action)
Unassign (unassign the hotkey from this action)
Troubleshooting
Windows
Controller buttons not detected?
Update the Beam Eye Tracker to 2.6.8 or newer. It includes Microsoft's GameInput fix for buttons not being detected on some controllers, steering wheels, and joysticks.
- Update the Beam Eye Tracker
Standalone: check for updates in the System tab, or download the current installer from your account. Steam: let Steam finish updating the app before opening it.
Confirm that About shows 2.6.8 or newer.
- Test your controller button
Open General > Hotkeys and try assigning the button. Then switch to your game and test the action.
- If buttons are not detected after updating, try reconnecting the controller
Unplug only the affected controller, wait a few seconds, and plug it back into its USB port or hub. Test both assigning and using the button again.
- If it still fails, check for device updates
Check your device manufacturer's website for driver and firmware updates, then reopen the Beam Eye Tracker and test again.
Do I still need the GameInput Compatibility Tool?
No. The tool was a workaround for older Beam Eye Tracker releases. Update the app instead of downgrading GameInput. If you already used the tool, update normally; there is no need to run it again.
Why did my controller hotkeys stop working after updating to 2.6.5?
The Microsoft GameInput version bundled with 2.6.5 introduced compatibility problems with some devices. The current Beam Eye Tracker release includes Microsoft's fix, so the older downgrade instructions no longer apply.
My controller still does not work after updating
Send support your Beam Eye Tracker version, device model, driver or firmware version, and whether assigning the button, using it in a game, or both fail. Include any error shown and the app logs.
If Microsoft GameInput appears in Programs and Features, include a screenshot showing its version. Press Windows + R, enter appwiz.cpl, and press Enter to open the list. Do not repeatedly downgrade GameInput or reset your Beam Eye Tracker settings.
I cannot find Microsoft GameInput in Programs and Features
Some older installers installed GameInput as a hidden component. A missing entry does not prove it is absent. Update the Beam Eye Tracker normally; you do not need to find or uninstall GameInput first.
Hotkeys only work when I switch away from the game
Your game probably runs as administrator and the Beam Eye Tracker does not, so Windows keeps the key presses from Beam while the game has focus. Start both the same way: stop running the game as administrator, or run the Beam Eye Tracker as administrator too.
Linux
Set up your hotkeys
On many Linux systems, hotkeys work without installing anything extra. Others ask you to approve keyboard shortcuts through a system permission window. Start by trying your hotkeys in the app.
- Assign a hotkey
Open Hotkeys in the native Linux version of the Beam Eye Tracker. It shows the setup guidance for your system. Assign controller buttons in Beam. On most X11 desktops, you can also assign keyboard hotkeys in Beam and use them immediately, including in fullscreen games.
- Set up system shortcuts on Wayland
On supported Wayland desktops, configure keyboard shortcuts in your desktop's system settings. Beam's Hotkeys screen provides guidance and can open those settings for you.
From 2.6.9, shortcuts are grouped by edition: Beam Eye Tracker (Standalone), Beam Eye Tracker for Steam, or Beam Eye Tracker Demo. In older versions, the group may appear as Steam.
- Test outside the app
Switch to another app or your game and test the hotkey. If it works, you are done. A recommendation for maximum compatibility does not mean you need additional setup.
- If needed, follow the app's access instructions
Check the message in Hotkeys: the app identifies whether keyboard access, gamepad access, or both need attention. On some Linux distributions, we provide an additional input setup that can make hotkeys more reliable. It requires extra permissions and is explained under Additional input access below.
Hotkeys only work inside the app, or fail in a game
On Wayland, your desktop's system shortcut settings decide which key works, even if Beam's Hotkeys screen shows a different one. Open those settings, check or change the shortcut there, and approve any permission prompts.
Some desktops cannot provide global keyboard shortcuts. Others support them in normal apps, but some fullscreen games block them. SteamOS Game Mode can also have different limitations from Desktop Mode. Follow the keyboard-access instructions shown in Hotkeys, with the setup guidance below if needed.
My controller buttons are not detected
Controller access is separate from keyboard shortcut permissions and is often already available through Steam or your Linux distribution. Reconnect your controller and try assigning a button in Hotkeys.
The app reports when it cannot read your controller's buttons. If you see that message in Hotkeys, follow the gamepad-access instructions there. You do not need to install keyboard access just to use controller buttons.
Additional input access
The setup offered in Hotkeys can install a background service for more reliable keyboard hotkeys, or add missing controller permissions. Use the app's message to decide which access you need. Setup requires administrator access and changes to system files.
- Run the setup from your desktop
Launch the Beam Eye Tracker once, then open a terminal. Copy the command from its Hotkeys settings, or run:
sudo bash ~/".local/share/Beam Eye Tracker/install/setup.sh" - Choose only the access you need
Follow the message in the app and the setup prompts. Answer Y for the keyboard access or gamepad access you need, and skip anything else.
- Apply the change and test again
For keyboard access, log out of Linux and back in, then reopen the app. For gamepad access only, unplug and reconnect the controller. Test your hotkey with your game in focus.
If setup fails, send support the terminal output. If it finishes but the access warning remains after logging back in, restart the computer and test again.
macOS
Allow keyboard hotkeys in other apps
The Beam Eye Tracker needs Input Monitoring permission to detect keyboard hotkeys while a game or another app is in focus.
- Select Grant Permission
In the Beam Eye Tracker, open Hotkeys and select Grant Permission in the keyboard-access message. Follow the macOS permission prompt.
- Enable Input Monitoring
If access is still unavailable, open the Apple menu, then System Settings > Privacy & Security > Input Monitoring. Turn on access for Beam Eye Tracker. If you launch through Steam, permission must be granted to the Beam Eye Tracker itself.
On macOS Monterey, use System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy > Input Monitoring. - Quit and reopen the app
Fully quit the Beam Eye Tracker, then launch it again so the permission takes effect. Closing its settings window is not enough.
- Test with another app in focus
Assign a keyboard hotkey in Hotkeys, switch to another app or your game, and test it there.
The app is missing from Input Monitoring, or access still does not work
Launch the Beam Eye Tracker and select Grant Permission in Hotkeys, then check the permission list again. Confirm that permission is on for the app you are launching and that you fully quit and reopened it afterward.
If hotkeys still fail, send support your macOS version and a screenshot of the permission setting and the message in Hotkeys. Apple's Input Monitoring guide explains where to find the setting.
Still need help?
Email [email protected] with your operating system, Beam Eye Tracker version, device model, and the message you see. Let us know which steps you completed and what happened when you tested the hotkey.