---
title: "Expert: VR Headsets Should Have Brain Interfaces"
description: "Mike Abinder, in-house psychologist and researcher for Valve, talked about exciting possibilities of adding brain-computer interfaces to VR headsets."
date: "2019-03-26"
modified: "2019-03-26"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/brain-computer-interface-vr-headsets"
categories:
  - "Future Society"
  - "Virtual Reality"
tags:
  - "brain computer interface"
  - "video games"
  - "virtual reality"
  - "vr"
---

# Expert: VR Headsets Should Have Brain Interfaces

![Mike Abinder, in-house psychologist and researcher for Valve, talked about exciting possibilities of adding brain-computer interfaces to VR headsets.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/brain-computer-interface-vr-headsets.png>)
*\<em\>Image: Alina Grubnyak via Unsplash/Tag Hartman-Simkins\</em\>*

## Mind Control

Virtual reality headsets are already pretty good at fooling our eyes and ears into thinking we're in another world. And soon, we might be able to navigate that world with our thoughts alone.

Speaking at this year's Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco, Mike Abinder, in-house psychologist and researcher for game developer and distributor Valve, [gave a talk](<https://www.roadtovr.com/valve-brain-computer-interfaces-vr-ar-gdc-2019/>) on the exciting possibilities of adding brain-computer interfaces to VR headsets.

## Personalized Gaming

The idea is to add non-invasive electroencephalogram (EEG) sensors to the insides of existing VR headsets. EEG readers detect the electrical signals firing in the brain and turn them into data points. And by analyzing that data, according to Abinder, game designers could make games that respond differently depending on whether you're excited, happy, sad or bored.

"So think about adaptive enemies. What kinds of animals do you like playing against in gaming?" Ambinder said, as [quoted by *VentureBeat*](<https://venturebeat.com/2019/03/24/valve-psychologist-explores-controlling-games-directly-with-your-brain/>). "If we knew the answers to these questions, you could have the game give you more of a challenging time and less of the boring time."

Game design could become almost perfectly tailored to the person wearing the VR headset — or even recreate a perfect representation of you inside a virtual world. Your avatar could perfectly mimic your current state of mind or mood.

"All of a sudden, we start becoming able to assess how you’re responding to various elements in game," Ambinder continued. "We can make small changes to make big changes."

## Brain Extensions

There are a handful of companies already trying to harness brain signals for enhancing gaming experiences. A startup called Neurable is already testing out BCIs built into off-the-shelf VR headsets "to create a natural extension of our brains, creating new possibilities for human empowerment," according to its website.

Of course, Abinder's vision of the future of gaming is mostly a fun thought experiment at this stage. Even hospital-grade EEGs have to deal with a huge amount of noise — and that's especially the case for consumer-grade, non-invasive scanners that are not planted to the scalp or surgically implanted.

**READ MORE:** [Valve Psychologist: Brain-computer Interfaces Are Coming & Could Be Built into VR Headsets](<https://www.roadtovr.com/valve-brain-computer-interfaces-vr-ar-gdc-2019/>) \[*Road to VR*\]

**More on VR:** *[The U.S. Army Is Using Virtual Reality Combat to Train Soldiers](<https://futurism.com/army-soldiers-vr-combat-training>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)