Neurable’s showcase at CES 2026 is audacious: what if performance tracking encompassed not only your mouse, keyboard, or heart rate, but also your thoughts? This idea is now embedded in a pair of large yet surprisingly comfy gaming headphones, created in partnership with HP’s HyperX brand. The headset is equipped with EEG sensors that monitor brain signals in real-time, allowing Neurable’s software to assess focus, cognitive load, and reaction time during gameplay.

I experienced Neurable’s neurotech headphones during a private demo with the team at the Palazzo, away from the crowded exhibition area. The headset includes robust earcups and fabric cushioning designed to hide EEG sensors without resembling laboratory equipment.

It’s important to note that Neurable’s roots are not in gaming. A significant portion of the company’s core technology was developed in educational settings and tested with the Department of Defense, including uses for monitoring brain health post-blast exposure.

The headset provides live metrics for streamers and coaches, such as focus, cognitive speed, and “brain battery,” which indicates when mental fatigue sets in and it’s time to take a break.

Before any “performance enhancement” can happen, the system establishes a baseline. At a demo station, I watched a live graph that responded solely to my thoughts: concentrating pushed the line up, while distractions dragged it down. No need for a calibration session, gel caps, or wires across my scalp—something CEO Ramses Alcaide pointed out as a major challenge Neurable claims to have tackled through AI-enhanced signal processing.

The demo then transitioned into Aimlabs, a popular FPS training platform utilized by esports players to evaluate accuracy and reaction speed. The goal is to hit as many targets as possible within a designated time period. My first run was decent, though not remarkable, also hindered by my contact lenses slipping when I focused too hard.

That baseline run was critical as it laid the foundation for PRIME.

PRIME serves as Neurable’s neurofeedback system, best described as a tailored meditation warm-up for your brain. Rather than asking you to “clear your mind” abstractly, PRIME illustrates your focus and cognitive load in real time. As you relax and concentrate, dots on the display slowly combine into a single point—feedback indicating your brain is approaching an optimal state.

Alicia Howell-Munson, the research scientist behind PRIME, referred to it as cognitive tuning rather than a simple relaxation exercise. My session lasted just over a minute. Others, I was told, could range from 30 seconds to several minutes, depending on their fatigue levels, stress, or deviation from their baseline that day.

When it ended, I felt peculiarly alert. Not jittery, but ready. The best comparison I could make is the sensation right after a good meditation session, but with a sharper sense of direction. Unfortunately, my contacts were still shifting.

After PRIME, I repeated the same Aimlabs test. Despite my ocular issues, my performance enhanced. I struck more targets, and my reaction time significantly improved, dropping from about 500 milliseconds to the mid-450s.

This corresponds with what Neurable claims to have noted in early tests. Per the company, both casual gamers and esports athletes using PRIME experienced average reaction time enhancements of roughly 40 milliseconds, along with improvements in accuracy and target hits. In competitive environments, those margins are vital.

The sensation afterward was quite agreeable, all things considered. Everything on the screen appeared slightly slower, but I was reacting more swiftly. Alcaide described it as “bullet time for your brain,” which seems cliché until you experience it.

While still in the proof of concept stage, the team harbors great aspirations to launch this headset to the market soon.

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