CES 2026: I Tested a Gaming Headset That Can Read Your Mind.
Before CES, I thought gaming headsets had become as complex as they could possibly be. How many improvements can you make to speakers and microphones? Well, forget all that. Apparently, the future of gaming headsets is mind-reading.
During a private demo with a colleague from IGN, I tested the collaboration between HP’s gaming brand HyperX and Neurable , a company that develops brain-computer interfaces. Neurable has previously exhibited at CES, but most of its work has focused on the defense and enterprise sectors. The brand is focused on helping identify priorities, and now Neurable believes it can leverage this to help gamers.
Before trying the Neurable x HyperX headset, I ran a quick shooter test, knocking down 30 targets with a response time of 547ms. I was then put through a focus program called Prime. A cloud of dots appeared on the screen, and I was instructed to do whatever it took to focus. I decided to look into the distance and count, and after about 90 seconds, the dots shrank to a small ball, and I was “tuned.” Neurable also suggested focusing techniques, such as repeating a word in my head or tracking one of the dots moving on the screen, but these didn’t help me. I then took the shooting test again. Theoretically, I should have performed better, but this time I scored slightly worse—559ms. That said, this response time isn’t terrible, and your results may vary. It’s possible I was already “tuned” before starting the Prime program. In contrast, my colleague reduced her response time by about 40ms after the pre-processing. If all this optimization sounds overly detailed, that’s because it is. It’s aimed at esports athletes and streamers, where every millisecond counts.
This is perhaps the headset’s coolest feature. Along with Prime, Neurable and HyperX are also working on a plugin for streamers that will display their concentration level on-screen. This can be displayed as a speedometer, a point cloud, or even a progress bar indicating whether you’re tilted or not. This should provide quite a fun interaction with viewers and integrate well with existing plugins, such as eye trackers that show where the streamer is looking.
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Furthermore, my slightly worse reaction time after the initial warm-up turned out to be useful. Neurable mentioned that the headset can be used for “choke practice,” where you brace yourself for the game shortly after locking on to a target, only to end up in a worse position. I thought this was just a marketing ploy, but a colleague of mine, a high-level World of Warcraft raider, said she actually found it useful.
While it’s still just a concept, it’s exciting to see how technology like this is preparing to hit the mass market. Neurable also stands out for its portability. Unlike other brain-computer interfaces, it looks like a regular headset, with all the connections simply stored in the ear cups. Thanks to Neurable’s expertise in AI, there’s no need for a giant headset with attached disks and wires. The company claims that using such a compact form factor results in a small amount of data (and a lot of unnecessary data), but thanks to its built-in AI model, it can easily identify patterns in your focus and transform them into something useful.
The demonstration confirmed this, and it ended up feeling more like a guided meditation with real-time feedback. This can be used not only for gaming but also for digital mind-reading, and the streaming plugins truly complement the concept, helping to transform it into a clear product with a specific purpose and target audience.
It will take some time to develop a gaming version of Neurable’s technology, though the company has stated that it hopes to release it this year. In the meantime, you can purchase an ultra-luxurious headset with built-in mind-reading functionality from Neurable , though it’s currently available for pre-order and will set you back $500. Prime and the streaming plugin will also not be included, though since they are software-based, this may change in the future.