Twitch streamer Perri Karyal took down two major bosses of Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree, using a hands-free virtual “mind control” controller that decodes electrical information fed directly from her brain in real time.
Prior to Shadow of the Erdtree’s release, FromSoftware president Hidetaka Miyazaki was quoted as saying that the challenge posed by the DLC “really pushed the limits in terms of what we think the player can handle.” True to its word, the days following Shadow of the Erdtree’s launch on June 21 saw many players complain on social media that the new content was simply too difficult, while others complained of performance issues, resulting in a “mixed” review on Steam.
However, its fearsome difficulty hasn’t stopped Karyal from trying to tackle the DLC using a very unorthodox method of controlling her blackout, which also proves that 90 percent of FromSoftware’s boss fight takes place between the ears.
I thought I’d post a video about what mind controls I use and how I move
Getting to the boss is often harder than the boss😅#shadowoftheerdtree #EldenRing pic.twitter.com/RmetlwJb8h
— Perry (@perrikaryal) June 23, 2024
Karyal made headlines last year after beating Elden Ring’s core game content while using an electroencephalography (EEG) brain-monitoring headset to control specific in-game actions, such as attacking and rolling. EEG technology is commonly used by doctors as a diagnostic tool. However, after encountering the brain-scanning headgear while studying for a master’s degree in psychology, she became curious about whether the technology could be adapted to control video games as part of a virtual controller.
To that end, Karial was able to use some fancy coding to train the software that came with her commercial EEG headphones to recognize patterns in her brain’s electrical activity that were triggered when she imagined a certain object, action, or emotion. Each model was then assigned to a virtual controller input, allowing Karyal to perform actions with his mind by imagining things while playing. For example, by imagining pushing a cube forward, she can perform a roll, or alternatively, she can imagine a spinning plate to make her perform an attack, or simply rage to heal herself.
WE DID IT
Shadow of the Erdtree, first boss COMPLETE with mind control and ZERO HANDS
I can not believe. That was the hardest thing. We’ve come this far! Let’s gooooooooo pic.twitter.com/INrwrgOH0Y
— Perry (@perrikaryal) June 22, 2024
WE DID IT AGAIN
Shadow of the Erdtree, SECOND boss, Renalla, DEFEATED with mind control and ZERO HANDS. Absolutely CRAZY
Let’s gooooooooo
If you have any questions, check out the full VOD below – I do setup, training and troubleshooting, all LIVE pic.twitter.com/H0UpxUj8hz
— Perry (@perrikaryal) June 23, 2024
At the time of Elden Ring’s release in 2023, Karial was still strapped to a physical Xbox controller to dictate the movement of her tainted warrior. However, for Shadow of the Erdtree, the streamer chose to try running completely hands-free, using eye-tracking software to track his head movement to control his character’s movement and voice prompts to trigger more nuanced actions, including saying “I choose you” to summon spirit ashes. Navigating to bosses also required a completely different command setup than that used during the climactic battles themselves, adding another layer of mental gymnastics to the process.
Impressively, Karyal has already been able to use her mind control approach to take down two challenging early DLC bosses in Divine Beast Dancing Lion and Rellana, Twin Moon Knight. Of course, this isn’t the first time FromSoftware fans have used an unconventional controller to put Elden Ring bosses to shame. Just last year, Twitch streamer MissMikkaa was able to defeat two Malenias simultaneously in two separate instances of the game while using the Dance Pad and PS5 DualSense. Another participant in the FromSoftware challenge named Dr. Decomposing also managed to complete a run without damage using a modified electric sax as a controller.
Be sure to check out IGN’s interactive map and comprehensive guide for all the tips, tricks, and walkthroughs you need to get the most out of your time in Shadowland, or read how mods are already finding ways to make playing easier at computer.
Anthony is a freelance contributor covering science and video game news for IGN. He has over eight years of experience covering groundbreaking developments in multiple scientific fields and has absolutely no time for your antics. Follow him on Twitter @BeardConGamer
