Streamer who beat Elden Ring with her mind creates a device that controls her movement in real life, immediately regrets it: "I don't condone that behavior. It's incredibly dangerous and I'm not liable"

News
By published

Don't try this at home, kids

Streamer PerriKaryal looking concerned during Twitch stream
(Image credit: PerriKaryal (via Twitch))

In another classic meditation on the concept of can vs. should, the streamer who made her name beating Elden Ring using her mind has once again made incredibly unconventional use of her Master's degree in psychology. Content creator PerriKaryal is back with by far her most dangerous experiment yet: a custom controller rigged to her literal head that apparently controls her actual real-life bodily movement to a degree.

As reported by PC Gamer, PerriKaryal's latest stunt involved hacking her own brain's balance system using a technique called galvanic vestibular stimulation. In a genuinely frightening TikTok video, the streamer attached nodes originating from a circuit board to her head as an off-screen participant appeared to literally control her movement using an Xbox controller. Apparently, the wires were passing currents through her head in different directions and causing temporary imbalance. This initial test, in which she failed to walk in a straight line against the will of her custom-made controller, was just the beginning.

In a much longer Twitch stream (gameplay starts around 02:30:00), parts of which were used in the TikTok video above, PerriKaryal got all wired up and used the controller to play the arcade-style racing game Trackmania. The idea was basically, imagine how much more immersive a racing game would be if you actually felt as if you were being yanked around by the g-force of your car as it turns corners at fast speeds. In PerriKaryal's words, she did this so she could "feel the g-forces."

Well, she sure felt the g-forces, but unfortunately she also felt a pretty bad headache, hot flashes, "buzzy" vision, and flashing lights that weren't there. "Don't do this," she emphasized at the end of her TikTok video. "Don't build this. Don't make this. I do not approve of anyone making this themselves. I don't condone that behavior. It's incredibly dangerous, and I'm not liable."

The moment I read PC Gamer's headline on this, my immediate thought was genuine concern. It seems PerriKaryal survived her experiment with no permanent effects, but kids, please don't try this at home. The 15 minutes of TikTok virality isn't worth it.

Here are the best PC games you can play right now with a good ol' mouse and keyboard and nothing wired to your head.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.