Valve co-founder and CEO Gabe Newell is behind a new startup, Starfish Technologies, which plans to release brain-computer interface (BCI) chips as early as this year. While Valve is known for hit game series like Half-Life, Portal, and Counter-Strike, these new chips are not aimed at gaming — at least for now. Instead, Starfish envisions the technology primarily for medical use, targeting neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, in a manner similar to Elon Musk’s Neuralink.
Advanced Neural Interface with Medical Focus
Starfish describes its chips as part of a future generation of “minimally invasive, distributed neural interfaces” capable of simultaneous access to multiple brain regions. This capability would allow recording and stimulation of neural activity with far greater precision than current systems. The chips are designed to be compact and energy-efficient, with the goal of eventually becoming fully wireless and battery-free implants.
The startup sees potential in using these chips to treat disorders involving miscommunication between brain regions by enabling simultaneous “reading and writing” across connected parts of the brain. However, Starfish is still in early development and is actively seeking collaborators with expertise in wireless power delivery, communication, or custom implanted neural interfaces.
Gaming Industry’s Interest in BCIs
While Starfish focuses on medical applications, the gaming industry at large has shown growing interest in BCIs for enhancing player experiences. At the 2019 Game Developers Conference, a Valve executive discussed how brain interfaces might help pro gamers reduce reaction times or adapt gameplay dynamically based on brain activity — such as increasing enemy difficulty for relaxed players or easing it for stressed ones.
Other major gaming companies like Sony and Tencent have quietly pursued brainwave-based control patents, and examples already exist of disabled gamers using Neuralink to play popular titles such as Counter-Strike.
Apple is also exploring brain-computer interface support for iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS through a partnership with Brooklyn startup Synchron. Synchron’s technology uses a synthetic vein implanted in the brain’s motor cortex, allowing users with degenerative diseases such as ALS to control Apple devices despite severe physical limitations. While not without technical challenges, this represents a significant step toward practical BCI applications.
Author’s Opinion
Brain-computer interfaces hold immense promise beyond the gaming hype. While the idea of mind-controlled games excites many, the true potential lies in medical breakthroughs that restore mobility and communication to people with neurological disorders. Companies like Starfish are right to prioritize health applications first, ensuring these technologies mature safely before becoming consumer entertainment tools.
Featured image credit: Forbes Australia
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