Valve Founder’s Neural Interface Company Set to Launch First Brain Chip This Year

Wow, so, I stumbled upon this news about Gabe Newell—you know, the Valve guy and his neural chip thing. It’s called Starfish Neuroscience. Wild, right? They’re whipping up this fancy chip for brain-computer interface stuff. And they say it’s gonna be all minimal and neat and maybe hitting us faster than we’d guess.

Apparently, they dropped this gem of an update about their fab new chip. Working with imec—some big R&D folks. Starfish wants this chip for those fancy battery-less brain implants that talk to your brain in multiple spots at once. Sounds like sci-fi mumbo jumbo, but hey, it’s 2023, what isn’t?

So, I remember Newell, yeah, he’s always chatting about “reading and writing” to brains. Creepy or cool? I’ll let you decide. Anyway, they’re aiming to break the mold of clunky, power-sucking implants that, let’s face it, are a pain to get all over your noggin. Most folks, like Musk with his Neuralink, have been fiddling with one brain spot. Starfish, though, wants it easy-peasy, sprinkle these implants all over.

And dang, this chip? Tiny. 2 × 4mm tiny. Imagine needing a brain chip brochure by Gabe Newell. Bonkers, right? So, what can this guy do? Let’s take a peek at this:

– Uses next to no power. Energy bill approved.
– Tee-tiny: 2 x 4mm. Fits like a sticker, almost.
– Does the brain dance with recording and zapping.
– Count ‘em 32 electrodes, and all that jazz.
– Chat-friendly with low-bandwidth wireless? Yup.
– Made with some fancy TSMC technology—if that rings a bell.

But hey, it’s early days. They’re scouting for brainy pals—anyone working on wireless power and implant gizmos—and want to mess with this tech before the world sees it in 2025. Picture this: Newell thinks we’re getting all Matrix-like, some brainy stuff happening sooner than later.

Back in ’23, he was all like, “Tapping into motor or visual cortex will be a cinch.” Something about brains having slick setups for some things and… not so much for others. Like, who knew your immune system had a say in you feeling cold? Weird.

Oh, and Mike Ambinder, before he left Valve, chatted about how this tech could shake up gaming. Imagine games reading your brainwaves. Ooh, spooky fun. He babbled something in a 2019 talk at GDC—yet another science speak thingy my brain hardly holds—about how this could shape gameplay. I think about it sometimes. Maybe too much.

Anyway, big thanks to Brad ‘SadlyItsBradley’ Lynch for putting this news in my lap. Wild times we live in, huh?