These days, everyone is wondering what is the next video game innovation will be. There have been so many industry-changing modern innovations like online multiplayer, mobile gaming, virtual reality and ray tracing. In short, the gaming industry is always evolving with the latest technologies. Now, a new prototype from Elon Musk has massive potential for gamers to play their favorite games without even needing any kind of controller.

A recent video released by Neuralink introduces Pager, a Macaque Monkey who was implanted with a Neuralink chip in each side of his brain. Encouraging him with a banana smoothie delivered through a straw, Pager is shown playing simple video games. At first, Pager uses a joystick to play, calibrating the Link. Then, when the researchers have him playing Pong, the joystick has been removed, and Pager is playing the game by just thinking where he wants his digital paddle to go. But how is this futuristic cyberpunk-looking technology even possible?

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The surgery to properly implant these chips has to be so precise that it is done entirely by a machine specifically built for it. The Neuralinks work by first recording electrode signals made within the motor cortex of the brain, which coordinates hand and arm movement. By tracking this activity and then feeding it to a decoder algorithm, the Links are able to predict someone's intended hand movements in real time. Once calibrated, the output from the decoder is able to move the cursor on a screen, without needing a controller. It can even be calibrated by just imagining hand movements to targets. It can also be used simply by pairing it to an iPhone, not unlike paring a phone to a Bluetooth speaker.

The potential applications for this technology are truly revolutionary, and it could improve the quality of life for many people with Alzheimer's, dementia, spinal injuries and more. But as the video shows, this technology presents the possibility to play video games without the use of any traditional input, instead using the mind as a controller. This technology being incorporated into a virtual reality headset could lead to incredible immersion.

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Of course, there are still many issues that prevent Neuralink from being the industry's next game-changer. First, and most obvious, it will undoubtedly be very expensive and invasive to purchase and implant. Despite the progress, the Link hasn't reached human stages of testing yet, and it will likely be many years before it is ready. Additionally, most people simply might not want it because they'd have to undergo surgery to have it implanted. Nonetheless, this is a groundbreaking technology that could have great impact in the coming decades.

The Neuralink Corporation is a private neurotechnology company in San Francisco, California founded by multi-billionaire Elon Musk. The company's goal has been to develop advanced computer chips that can be implanted in brains of various animals and later humans, allowing them to directly interface with electronic machines. While the pandemic has delayed plans for human testing, the company hopes to get to this stage later this year.

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