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Hi! I have FSX, and am planning on buying a trackIR with the pro clip. I'd like to know which version is better for my purposes.

I want to fly an aircraft (Cessna's) and be able to look around me for the view, easily have eye contact with the runway and traffic on IVAO, and be able to slightly raise my head in order to see better at landings. The point is that I want everything to happen smoothly, without "bounces" or so.

I've heard that trackIR 5 might not be stable in high lighting conditions, which IS my case. My room is very lightened by the sun. Additionally, trackIR 5 w/pro clip is pretty expensive, and I'll consider buying it only if it makes a BIG difference compared to TrackIR 4.
So... Does it make a big difference? Is the difference worth the price? $170 isn't exactly 15 bucks.

TrackIR 5 is not less stable than TrackIR 4 in any circumstances. In fact, in high lighting situations it is actually more stable. It has an improved method of processing the TrackClip/TrackClip PRO data, which means you can afford to filter out background light more aggressively with it without losing tracking quality.

Having said that, if direct sunlight is in the TrackIR's view, both units are not going to like that. Ambient light, around the room, is not so much the problem. Direct light is what you want to be careful with.

I strongly prefer TrackIR 5 to 4, personally, but I know others find either to be sufficient. It probably depends on how particular you are. I'm pretty picky, so I like the smoothest, fastest experience possible. The more inherent smoothness of the T5 hardware means you need less software smoothing, which equates to a more precise experience. If you apply lots of software smoothing, then the distinction in hardware precision will be less noticeable.

My general advice is this: if you can truly afford TrackIR 5, by all means go for it. It's better in many respects. But if the cost is too high for you to be comfortable with, TrackIR 4 will still give you a really nice experience.

Hope this helps!

-Seth