Virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Sony PlayStation VR all rely on physical controls. These controls allow the player to control themselves in the game, much like a gamepad, keyboard, or mouse, although we guess in a way there is a bit of a disconnect since the controller isn’t always representative of what’s in the game.
However a company by the name of Neurable has built a prototype peripheral that allows users to control their actions in the game using just their brain, which could hint at a future where our VR experiences are completely hands-free. The idea of using our brains to control gadgets isn’t new, and we have seen it used for medical purposes such as controlling a wheelchair.
What happens in this case is that it uses specific brain signals to trigger actions in the game. Neurable tells the folks at IEEE Spectrum that they are hoping to bring this experience to VR arcades as soon as 2018, and that the final product will be considerably sleeker compared to the device you see in the image above.
It is an interesting idea and it could solve some of the problems with VR gaming, especially in terms of movement where gamers either need to use the controls to walk/run, or rely on more expensive accessories like the Omni Treadmill.
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