Brain-controlled Skyrim is Up and Running
The Real Virtual Magic mod for Skyrim VR has been released. The project uses electroencephalographic (EEG) devices to measure the player's concentration strength, which affects the power of spells.
- An interesting Skyrim VR mod called Real Virtual Magic has been released;
- The mod requires an Muse 2 or Muse S EEG device;
- These gadgets measure our level of concentration, and the mod uses it to determine the strength of in-game spells.
Many people, including Gabe Newell, believe that the future of the industry is a neural interface, allowing for, i.a. direct control over characters in games using the brain. Now gamers can test the solution for themselves thanks to the Real Virtual Magic modification for the PC edition of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR. The project was developed by a modder by the handle Cangar and you can download it from Nexus Mods. According to the creator, this is the first case of a game using virtual reality with this type of controls.
The mod requires having one of two devices - either a Muse 2 or Muse S. These are wristbands that use electroencephalography (EEG), a non-invasive diagnostic method used to study the bioelectrical activity of the brain. Normally, these gadgets were developed to monitor sleep and aid in meditation. Cangar's mod uses the readings of these devices in Skyrim VR to cast spells.
Real Virtual Magic completely replaces the magic system. We can cast spells without any restrictions, but their strength depends on our concentration, monitored by Muse devices. A special bar in the interface informs us about its level. If it's charged up to 50%, spells deal standard damage. Below and above this value, the strength of spells is reduced or increased accordingly.
The mod gives a taste of what the future of gaming may look like. It's not cheap - a Muse 2 costs 269.99 euros, and a Muse S - 379.99 euros. However, these are consumer devices, available to the casual user, so for those with sufficiently fat wallets, this is a big treat.
The creator of Real Virtual Magic is a neuroscientist conducting research at the Technical University of Berlin on the use of electroencephalography in VR. The mod enables us to send data to the author to help him in his work, but it is completely voluntary. All records are created on the user's hard drive and are not automatically uploaded anywhere. It is also an open-source project, so anyone can review its code and be sure that it hides nothing questionable.
