30-year old Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey has created a virtual reality headset that kills a user in real life if they die in-game, by exploding their head. Finally, the high-stakes video gaming I’ve been waiting for! Some more information about the headset while I wonder what Facebook’s next move will be in bungling their ownership of Oculus:

I used three of the explosive charge modules I usually use for a different project, tying them to a narrow-band photosensor that can detect when the screen flashes red at a specific frequency, making game-over integration on the part of the developer very easy. When an appropriate game-over screen is displayed, the charges fire, instantly destroying the brain of the user.

The idea of tying your real life to your virtual avatar has always fascinated me – 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. Pumped up graphics might make a game look more real, but only the threat of serious consequences can make a game feel real to you and every other person in the game.

Obviously, this has Squid Games II written all over it. Would you participate in VR Squid Games? I would. I mean as long as you aren’t required to use one of those omnidirectional treadmills and actually run around, because I’m only participating if I can sit and play. I’m sorry, but I’ve just always imagined my head exploding sitting down.