Range & Placement
IBIS trackers use a 2.4 GHz radio. 2.4 GHz is short-range and easily blocked by walls, bodies, and metal. Receiver placement is the single biggest lever for tracking reliability.
The one thing that matters most
Mount the receiver high. Above your head, with line of sight to as much of your body as possible. The trackers on your feet are the hardest to reach (small antennas, often behind your body) — every cm of receiver height helps.
What works
- Clipped to the top of a monitor
- Taped to the underside of a ceiling lamp
- Velcroed to a tall shelf in the corner of your playspace
- Hung from a desk-mounted boom arm
What doesn’t work
- Plugged directly into the back of a tower PC (chassis blocks signal)
- Sitting on the desk behind your monitor
- Inside a closed drawer
- Next to a USB 3.0 port handling lots of traffic (USB 3 traffic is a well-documented source of 2.4 GHz interference)
2.4 GHz neighbours
Things that share the 2.4 GHz band and can interfere:
- Your 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi (especially crowded apartments)
- Bluetooth audio devices nearby
- Microwave ovens (yes, really)
- USB 3.0 devices and cables right next to the receiver
If you have a 5 GHz Wi-Fi option, prefer it for the PC running SlimeVR — this frees up 2.4 GHz airtime for your trackers.
Effective range
In a typical home playspace (3-4 m radius, drywall), one well-placed receiver covers a full standing roomscale setup with no dropouts. Outdoor or very large rooms can stretch farther.
If you see occasional dropouts on the foot trackers when you turn your back to the receiver, that’s normal physics — the receiver is shadowed by your body. Raise the receiver higher or move it to a position more in front of you.
When more range helps
- Sitting setups: receiver placement matters less; mid-desk height is fine
- Standing roomscale: receiver above the playspace is ideal
- VR exercise / dancing: receiver high and centered minimizes turn-induced dropouts