A new controller tracks your heart rate in real time, just in case that jumpscare means you should call a doctor.
In 2025, gaming hardware stopped pretending to be subtle. ASUS built a full Hatsune Miku gaming PC with a custom RTX 5080 and matching parts only to get outstaged by a YouTuber who turned the virtual idol into a fully working, two-meter-tall gaming PC.
It felt almost inevitable that someone would start tracking the player instead of the pixels. This time, the target is not your clicks or reaction time, but your body. More specifically, that moment when your palms sweat and you swear you’re fine.
Anbernic reveals PC controller that watches your heartbeat
The controller comes from Anbernic, a brand best known for affordable retro handhelds, not high-end PC peripherals. It revealed the RG G01 Smart Controller on January 23, a PC-first gamepad that tracks your heart rate in real time while you play.
The heart-rate tracking controller will support PC, Steam, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, and Linux, with Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4GHz wireless, USB-C tethering, and a 1000Hz polling rate in both wired and wireless modes. Anbernic also packed in anti-drift capacitive joysticks, dual-mode trigger stops for racing or shooters, six-axis gyro controls, macro support, four rear buttons, and dual asymmetric vibration motors.
Front and center sits a curved color screen. Unlike novelty displays, it handles remapping, macros, and settings directly on the controller, and tucked into the grip is the real headline: a built-in heart rate sensor that displays your pulse mid-game and triggers alerts at set thresholds.
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