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Oculus founder builds VR headset that kills the wearer if they die in-game

By T.K. Randall
November 9, 2022 · Comment icon 13 comments

Would you play a VR game that could literally kill you ? Image Credit: Palmer Luckey
Palmer Luckey - the man who kick-started the modern VR scene - has built a headset with a rather unique and deadly twist.
Virtual reality headsets such as PSVR and Facebook's Meta Quest 2 can transport you into virtual worlds that make you feel as though you are actually there, but now one man has taken things one step further to the point where a lethal encounter in-game can mean more than just a game over screen.

Palmer Luckey, who developed the original Oculus Rift headset before the firm was acquired by Facebook, has developed a new headset that literally terminates the wearer if they die in-game.

The device is equipped with a set of explosive charges which detonate when the screen flashes red at a particular frequency, essentially destroying the wearer's brain and killing them instantly.

The idea pays homage to a similar device in the Sword Art Online manga series.
"The idea of tying your real life to your virtual avatar has always fascinated me - you instantly raise the stakes to the maximum level and force people to fundamentally rethink how they interact with the virtual world and the players inside it," Luckey wrote.

"Pumped up graphics might make a game look more real, but only the threat of serious consequences can make a game feel real to you and every other person in the game."

So far Luckey has not been brave enough to actually try his new headset on because the mechanism is "too volatile" and at the moment he doesn't have a game worthy of the concept to play on it.

"At this point, it is just a piece of office art, a thought-provoking reminder of unexplored avenues in game design," he wrote.

Source: Futurism | Comments (13)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #4 Posted by Orphalesion 2 years ago
I dunno. As important as free markets are. I think whatever government that guy lives under should step in and shut that crap down.
Comment icon #5 Posted by Jon the frog 2 years ago
Beta testing is scary, lol !
Comment icon #6 Posted by DJ Dog 2 years ago
If you're stupid enough to think that's cool you should try it out. Cull the herd of morons i.e natural selection.
Comment icon #7 Posted by HSlim 2 years ago
Well this doesn't sound like a ****ty idea or anything
Comment icon #8 Posted by pbarosso 2 years ago
this is already been used for millennia. its what is built into our reality.
Comment icon #9 Posted by psyche101 2 years ago
What an incredibly stupid idea.  He needs his head read. 
Comment icon #10 Posted by pallidin 2 years ago
Just so everyone knows, this is not a commercial device, and he has no plans to "attempt" to make it a commercial product (which no company would agree to make anyway) He calls it "office art", whatever that means.
Comment icon #11 Posted by jethrofloyd 2 years ago
So, the real bullfighting is no longer the most dangerous game in the world.
Comment icon #12 Posted by LadyPhoenix 2 years ago
Surreal.  Even if he has no plans to market the device, why create it in the first place?  Imagine the idjit types that call S.W.A.T. raids on people that beat them in a game, sending someone one of these instead?  Is the dude's plan to destroy the VR industry?  How many people won't trust any headset due to this? 
Comment icon #13 Posted by Bed of chaos 2 years ago
I've never met one gamer who's owned these things. Mostly overpriced, games aren't good and can possibly cause motion sickness. Plus the new one (I forgot, Oculus?) supposedly requires a Facebook account.


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