Meta's new EMG wristband won't replace your Quest controllers, says Meta CTO
Meta recently unveiled a wristband that converts neural signals into computer input. Could this become a new input method for VR games?
The wristband is used to control Meta's Orion AR glasses prototype. Users can use subtle movements of their fingers to provide computer input as an unobtrusive alternative to voice and gesture control.
While Meta says it will be three to five years before a product like Orion comes to market, according to a leaked roadmap, the wristband could debut as early as next year, initially as an input method for a pair of display glasses similar to the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses.
It is easy to imagine a future in which devices like Meta Quest also benefit from the wristband. But to what extent? Could it establish a new input paradigm for VR and MR games alongside VR controllers and hand tracking?
Here is what Meta's CTO says
This question was posed to Meta's CTO and Head of Reality Labs, Andrew Bosworth, in his most recent Q&A session on Instagram. Here is his answer:
"I got a lot of questions like this one, and I got to tell you, I understand the instinct. Right now the neural interfaces are providing index tap, middle finger tap, kind of a D-pad with your fingers, some gesture-based awareness. It's neither the richness nor the precision we currently get from the Touch controllers. And nearly every game developer would have to develop the game differently for this modality. So it's not like a drop-in. I'm certainly not saying never. I think over time, I think the neural interface becomes an increasingly universal interface, but there's a good chance it's never as good for a lot of games as controllers are. Controllers are amazing for games, that's why we're still using them. It's not never, but it's not a priority."
So it doesn't look like the wristband will be replacing your Quest controllers anytime soon. But it could be used to navigate menus or augment VR and MR games in cool new ways. After all, it must feel a bit like controlling things with your mind.
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