Oculus Founder Created a VR Headset That Blows Up The User’s Head If They Die In The Game

In yet another case of wealthy people having too much time and money on their hands, the inventor of Oculus Rift has created a headset that will kill users who die in virtual reality.

In a recent blog post, Palmer Luckey, the mastermind behind Meta’s Oculus, which was sold to Facebook in 2014, revealed the demented invention.  He explained that the custom virtual reality headset is based on the anime series Sword Art Online, where players are trapped in a virtual reality simulator that, when killed in the game, they also die in real life.

Luckey wrote that merging virtual reality with real life “fascinated” him.  He claimed he wants people to be more cognitive of their interactions with people in the virtual world, where repercussions for actions typically do not exist.  With the deadly headset called “NerveGear,” users may be more willing to conduct themselves in the same way as they would outside the game.

“You instantly raise the stakes to the maximum level and force people to fundamentally rethink how they interact with the virtual world and the players inside it… only the threat of serious consequences can make a game feel real to you and every other person in the game,” Luckey explained.

Wired with charges, the NerveGear will explode if the user triggers a designated “game over” screen, destroying the skull and brain.

Luckey admitted that while he has figured out the murderous aspect of the headset, he is still working to determine the virtual reality game that will go along with it, which will not be developed for years to come.  The dangerous headset will not see the light of day anytime soon, but Luckey calls it “a piece of office art.”