Elden Ring's brain-powered streamer is building an Xbox controller in their head

Best FromSoftware games
(Image credit: From Software)

An Elden Ring streamer is playing FromSoftware's game completely hands-free.

Not quite satisfied with beating Elden Ring with the power of their mind, streamer Perrikaryal is now taking on FromSoftware's latest without even using their hands. Footage of the monumental feat can be seen just below in the streamer's tweet, where they showcase a fight against the Soldier of Godrick boss entirely hands-free.

Perrikaryal explains to us that she's able to move by simply tilting her head and utilizing gyro controls. "The mental commands work the same as last time through using visualisations that cause certain patterns of brain activity which are then remembered by the BCI and keybinded," the streamer further elaborates.

"What I've done this time is use the Emotiv API and some Python programming to create a controller which combines all the data from the eeg into one holistic thing," perrikaryal continues. "Then I can convert my controller into a virtual xbox controller." So the streamer is putting together a virtual Xbox controller in their brain? Wicked.

"I'm adding more and more inputs and integrating different kinds of data such as eye tracking, facial expressions, and emotion recognition (excitement, focus etc.) as well," she adds. Although she's just fighting Elden Ring's bosses hands-free for now, perrikaryal says her goal is to bind "every input you'd ever need for any game."

And yes, that's actually a realistic goal for the streamer's setup. "I absolutely think I will," she replies when asked if it's a genuine possibility. "Every step along this journey I've thought - or someone else has said - that this was impossible and there was no way... and then we just keep doing it. Absolutely we will."

We're not honestly sure where we go from here. How can anyone play a FromSoftware game in a stranger way than with their brain? We've seen a streamer beat every Elden Ring boss using a Bop-It controller, so we're not exactly short on the weirdness factor around here, but who knows how the entire thing could escalate from here. 

One can only hope we'll see even more strange practices emerge from Elden Ring streamers in the future. We could even see a resurgence in weird playthroughs when Shadow of the Erdtree eventually drops.

Check out our Elden Ring DLC guide for a complete look forward to the future of FromSoftware's ace game.

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.

Read more
Elden Ring Nightreign screenshot with three players battling an explosive creature
Elden Ring streamer who beat Shadow of the Erdtree with her mind is already preparing to annihilate Nightreign in the most sci-fi way possible: "I haven’t touched a controller in ages"
Malenia seen in Elden Ring's cinematic story trailer.
After 1,428 deaths, Elden Ring player literally beats the whole game using a real boxing dummy as a controller, and not even Malenia was safe
Shadow of the Erdtree Final Boss Radahn
With one hand for each character, Elden Ring master beats Shadow of the Erdtree and its infamous final boss while playing on PC and PS5 at the same time
Elden Ring
After 3 weeks and 115 attempts, Elden Ring sicko becomes the "first in the world" and "probably the last" to complete a no-hit run at uncapped NG+1,000
A screenshot of Elden Ring boss Godfrey, the first Elden Lord
Elden Ring player becomes the first to beat every New Game+ difficulty back to back without getting hit, in an 8-playthrough run that somehow took under 12 hours
This streamer just beat a no-hit run of Dark Souls 3 with a saxophone controller, and they've got their sights set on Monster Hunter Wilds next
Latest in RPG
Skyrim
Skyrim and Fallout veteran left Bethesda after 14 years because he'd already made 3 runaway GotY winners: "That's a really hard thing to top"
Kingdom Come: Deliverance had to add complex pathfinding for just 2 NPCs that owned horses: "If you want to do this feature, you have to support it"
A dragon blasts a man with a shield in Skyrim
"Even if The Elder Scrolls 6 is great," Skyrim veteran thinks Bethesda developers will face harassment and "death threats" anyway
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot of Naoe wearing a hood and standing below a cherry blossom tree
PSA: Clear out your storage space, because Assassin's Creed Shadows' world is so pretty you'll be taking screenshots for days
Games like The Witcher 3: A cut scene during Act 2 of Baldur's Gate 3.
Baldur's Gate 3's corporate overlord says news on the future of the RPG series is coming "in pretty short order"
Baldur's Gate 3 screenshot showing Astarion, a pale male elf with short curly white hair and red eyes, looking over his shoulder with a smirk on his face
Baldur's Gate 3 and Larian Studios lead Swen Vincke declares that single-player games are, in fact, not "dead" at all – "they just have to be good"
Latest in News
John Cena in Barbie
John Cena comedy Coyote Vs. Acme might come out after all, over a year after it was controversially shelved
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing Yasuke kneeling and praying while wearing a traditional purple robe
Assassin's Creed Shadows' "Canon Mode" gives you the official RPG experience – but it'll cost you almost every romance option
Adam Scott in Severance
Ben Stiller says it won't take another three years to make the third season of Severance, teasing they're "announcing what the plan is very soon"
Hughie in The Boys season 1
Rapture's number one fan Jack Quaid is back with a perfect idea for a BioShock TV show
A brightened screenshot from Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes.
Hideo Kojima knows fans thought Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes was too short, as he thinks back to negative comments: "'Why would they sell a trial version even at a low price?'"
Mock up of Nvidia RTX 5060 graphics card with blue mountains in backdrop
The RTX 5060 Ti allegedly isn't coming until mid-April but a delay could help Nvidia's dreadful stock situation