The only way this 64-year-old man could use the Vision Pro is with a brain machine, and it's amazing

The story you're about to read has it all: technology breakthroughs, a 64-year-old man with severe health problems, a brain chip (!), and, finally, Apple's $3,500 Vision Pro headset. Read carefully, as this could very well turn out to be of utmost importance for us or a relative of ours in the not-so-distant future.

If I have to paraphrase one of the lesser-known memorable quotes from a Stanley Kubrick movie – "These are great days we're living in, bros!" (Full Metal Jacket, 1987) – I'd say we live in interesting times. Yes, I'm aware of the ancient Chinese curse ("May you live in interesting times"), but this time around, I'm talking about real interesting times, without a hint of irony.

See, an Apple Vision Pro headset (yes, the same gadget from the Summer of 2023 that amassed insane quantities of hate and fascination from the public) is now controlled for the first time by a brain computer interface. Or, in simpler terms, a man with a brain chip was able to use the Apple Vision Pro.

The story is about Synchron, a neurotechnology company working on a brain-computer interface (BCI) that can be inserted through blood vessels. This technology aims to help people with severe paralysis regain the ability to control digital devices and increase their independence. The company is in the clinical stage of developing this device, which is designed to restore movement signals for those with motor impairments.

This one might sound familiar with Elon Musk's Neuralink – you may recall the story of a brain-chip patient that is playing Civilization VI for 8 hours straight with his mind: yes, solely by thinking about it.

However, Neuralink is developing implantable brain–machine interfaces (BMIs), whereas the Synchron BCI is implanted in the blood vessel on the surface of the motor cortex of the brain via the jugular vein, through a minimally-invasive endovascular procedure (instead of a more extensive neurosurgery operation). Once implanted, it is designed to detect and wirelessly transmit motor intent out of the brain.

Now, Synchron says that Mark, a 64-year-old man with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), successfully used his thoughts to control the cursor on the Apple Vision Pro. He played Solitaire, watched Apple TV and sent text messages using the Synchron brain computer interface, all hands-free. Mark is otherwise unable to use the Apple Vision Pro due to the loss of function of his upper limbs, and Apple Vision Pro requires hand gestures to make item selections.


Synchron and Apple have a history together – back in 2022, the iPad was used in similar testings.

Indeed, this is a medical breakthrough! Yes, cynically speaking, one can easily imagine all kinds of dystopian horrors down in the near future: brain-implanted chips, unskippable 300-seconds bubblegum ads, having our thoughts reprogrammed by a faceless behemoth corporation (or that pesky hacker neighbor deleting all our memories just for fun), but in the end of the day, operating machines with your mind is beyond impressive.