We recently invited Perri Karyal – gamer, streamer, and psychology Master’s graduate – to try out our hands-free EarControl™ technology and share their thoughts on accessible gaming.
Find out what having a large online community has taught Perri about the importance of inclusivity, and the potential of our in-ear biometric control and sensor technology.
You’re an advocate for more accessibility in gaming. How do you think EarControl™ technology could help to create a more accessible gaming experience?
I think because it’s so easy to use for everyone. You don’t need to spend ages training it, which is going to make a massive, massive difference.
That’s the reason I don’t recommend the way that I game currently for people who can’t use their hands, because it requires you to use your hands a lot.
Perri’s known for tracking brain activity with EEG devices and gaming with ”mind control” – a technique that requires hours of training. You can learn more about Perri’s use of and thoughts on EEG here.
You’ve developed a large online community through gaming. How has this contributed to your understanding of accessibility in gaming, and the barriers that some gamers currently face?
I receive comments that ask me “would this still be possible with X?”
And that “X” is something I never really even think about.
I did a short recently on aphantasia, which is something I’d never thought of before. I was questioning: if you can’t visualise things, can you use EEG to use a mental command? The answer is yes, but I had to do loads of research to figure out why.
I also get a lot of messages from people who can’t play with controllers and feel as if they’re missing out. Not being able to play with friends must be really hard, and especially during times such as Covid.
There’s nothing that I can say to make that better, because my set-up doesn’t necessarily work for everyone yet.
Still, it’s inspiring and motivating to see technology that could help people – like EarControl™ – being developed.
Do you think enough is currently being done to create a more inclusive gaming experience, particularly when it comes to creating more usable controls and hardware?
There are games and game companies that are trying to create inclusive solutions – but what’s out there is never all-encompassing.
It’s tricky. Game companies are going for mass appeal and want to push out games quickly, but you can’t push out games quickly if you’re thinking about lots of different inclusivity settings.
There are also companies that are producing different types of controllers, but they often still require the use of your hands.
There are exciting technologies like EEG and EarControl™, but with everything being so new and in its prototype era, I wouldn’t say there’s enough being done just yet.
Can you tell us about your experience with the EarSwitch® team?
I was expecting the team to be bigger than it was because of all the tech they’ve developed and how much potential there is. But I realised that everyone there has a very specific role and seems to be amazingly passionate and amazingly knowledgeable about what they're doing.
There was someone who was an expert in coding up technology devices with 40 years' experience, and there was someone who was an all-round knowledgeable neuroscientist.
I spent most of my time with Nick*, and just hearing the way that he was talking about the tech is really, really inspiring. After meeting him, I realised I want in!
*EarSwitch® founder and CEO, Dr Nick Gompertz.
Be a champion for accessible gaming with EarSwitch®
We’d like to say a massive thank you to Perri for trying out EarControl™ and for taking the time to speak to us about the experience.
If you’re interested in finding out more about EarControl™’s potential for accessible gaming, get in touch with us or trial our technology for yourself.