Brain controlled Virtual Reality comes to the HTC Vive
It's almost fated that one day we'll be able to interface and engage with new virtual reality worlds without the need for cumbersome tech but until that time arrives we've got the next best thing - Brain controlled VR
Key takeaways
- Games are just the first application though, and Neurable says it's hoping to bring its experience to VR arcades in 2018.
- Dive into the Game However, the company clearly has larger ambitions.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2017) 'Brain controlled Virtual Reality comes to the HTC Vive', 311 Institute, 9 August. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/brain-controlled-virtual-reality-comes-to-the-htc-vive/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
It was inevitable that one day Virtual Reality (VR) headsets and Brain Machine Interfaces (BMI) would merge because surely the best way to explore a new virtual reality world, especially as the performance and the graphics of these worlds advance, isn't using sticks or hapatic clothing, it's feeling as though you're really there - in the moment. But while two way neurobio feedback, that allows us to upload information to our brains, or that can fool us into thinking we're really present in another virtual world, holodeck style, is still decades away, and personally I wouldn't be very surprised if Facebook become one of the early leaders in the field by combining their new brain reading tech program with the Occulus Rift, a company called Neurable has teamed up with HTC to take the first step on the long road that lies ahead.
This week the company unveiled a prototype peripheral that adds brain control to VR experiences. The device replaces the regular strap on an HTC Vive and uses specific brain signals, something called "Event-related potentials," not the EEG patterns you usually see, to trigger actions. In a showcase game, Awakening, individuals can use their minds, or "telekenetic powers" to escape a lab, and they don't have to hold plastic wands as they battle robots and grab objects.
Games are just the first application though, and Neurable says it's hoping to bring its experience to VR arcades in 2018. The brain controller should be slicker, too, so the bulky design you see here, which, let's face it, makes you look like you're part of a lab experiment, won't last long and it will eventually be minimised.
However, the company clearly has larger ambitions. It sees brain control as a big step up in VR interfaces. When done well, it both eliminates the learning curve, for example, you just think about what you want to do, and as some of the latest advancements and technologies combine one day it might be fair to say you won't be able to distinguish the real world from the virtual one, and that guys, well that's going to likely open up a whole new debate about the psychological consequences of what happens when the virtual becomes someones new reality.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
It's almost fated that one day we'll be able to interface and engage with new virtual reality worlds without the need for cumbersome tech but until that time arrives we've got the next best thing - Brain controlled VR
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- Neurable neurable.com
- Announcing the worlds first brain computer interface for virtual reality a3110db62607 medium.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 9 August 2017. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2017). Brain controlled Virtual Reality comes to the HTC Vive. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/brain-controlled-virtual-reality-comes-to-the-htc-vive/
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