New VR tech simulates the feeling of spiders crawling over your lips Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. New VR tech simulates the feeling of spiders crawling over your lips Yes, you read that correctly. News by Victoria Kennedy News reporter Published on 10 May 2022 11 comments VR is amazing, for sure. It adds a whole other level of immersion to your gameplay and as a result will enhance the overall experience. However, a group of scientists has taken this winning formula and now boosted it even further. How have they done this? Simply by letting your face and mouth also become part of the VR experience. And how have they chosen to demonstrate this new tech? Well - with, er, spiders. Watch on YouTube Ian delves into the Oculus Quest 2 games he's looking forward to. Before we go on, let me quickly assure you that when I say spiders, I do not mean real spiders. Rather, just some small VR arachnids. So, once more to clarify, no real spiders (or people for that matter) were harmed in the making of this article. Anyway, back to the matter in hand. A group of scientists from Carnegie Mellon University's Future Interfaces Group (via PC Gamer) have taken a standard Oculus Quest 2, and decked it out with a series of ultrasonic transducers. These transducers then generate ultrasonic energy, which is directed towards the users' lip area. As such, when all this is in play, users will be able to feel sensations such as ongoing vibrations or an erratic pulsing on their lips and face. So, where do the spiders come in, I hear you ask. Simple... the scientists got their subject to wear the new-fangled Oculus headset and walk through a haunted forest scenario, complete with webs and those eight-legged critters that we all know and love (or perhaps that's loathe). When one such chap leapt onto the user's face, the headset sent out "random impulses that simulates an insect scurrying around the face". In addition to this, the user also came across a giant boss spider in the forest, which was dripping with a lurid green venom. And, yes, the user got to feel every splatter of that venom as it cascaded down her face. As well as the various spider scenarios, the scientists also recreated a school environment with a water fountain to drink from, a break room where the user can have a drag on a cigarette and motorcycle racing game where user felt the wind blowing on their lips thanks to the headset's new haptic feedback. You can check out the full demonstration of this new tech below. Carnegie Mellon University's 'Mouth Haptics in VR using a Headset Ultrasound Phased Array' video. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 8 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Genshin Impact Path of Gleaming Jade dates, login event rewards Including other anniversary rewards and how to claim them. Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store