VR Startup Lets You Control Games With Your Mind

Virtual reality has become increasingly popular for game developers and hardware companies, but a new startup is developing an innovative take on the platform.

Via the MIT Technology Review, Neurable is developing hardware that allows you to control VR games with your mind. Currently, the company uses a wireless headset rig with several electrodes to analyze your brain’s signals and translates that into in-game action. Check out an early Neurable demo below:

The company is currently testing its technology with a demo hardware rig that includes its wireless headset and an HTC Vive. As the MIT Technology Review notes, Neurable doesn’t plan on making its own hardware but eventually wants its technology to be integrated into future VR hardware.

Read: University of Michigan Startup Working On Going "Beyond Virtual Reality"

While Neurable’s hardware is in its relatively early stages, it’s still an interesting way to tackle VR because of how it streamlines the hardware you’d typically need for a game or application. As novel as current VR platforms like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift are for their interactivity, the hardware can often be cumbersome and less than intuitive for new users.

Read: Tim Cook Endorses Augmented Reality, Which May Appear In iPhone 8

Alternatives to VR like augmented reality try to split the difference between VR’s interactivity and need for extensive hardware, as AR options like the Microsoft HoloLens work by overlaying data over what you see through the headset’s glasses. But as more immersive VR hopes to grow past its early adopters and reach a larger audience, it’ll be interesting to see how developers will tackle alternative control methods like what Neurable’s working on.