allbcis.com

Every brain–computer interface on earth

non-invasive  ·  EEG ·  early-access

Galea

By OpenBCI

Identity

Manufacturer
OpenBCI
Model number
—
Codename
—
Aliases
OpenBCI Galea, Galea Beta
Generation
Beta
Country of origin
US
Released
Announced
Discontinued
—
Status
early-access

Classification

Invasiveness
non-invasive
Modalities
EEG, EMG, EOG, EDA, PPG, eye-tracking
Primary modality
EEG
Direction
read
Categories
consumer-ar-vr, research-grade, developer-kit
Form factor
visor
Use cases
BCI + XR research, neuro-marketing, passive cognitive-state monitoring in VR, physiological-state-aware game design, training / cognitive-load studies
Target users
neuroscience-researcher, developer, professional

Electrodes

Total channels
10
Recording channels
10
Reference channels
—
Electrode type
dry-active, dry-passive
Material
—
10-20 positions
—
Requires gel
No
Requires saline
No
Prep time
—
Reusable
Yes
Disposable
No

Auxiliary sensors

IMU
—
IMU axes
—
Accelerometer
—
Gyroscope
—
Magnetometer
—
PPG (heart rate)
Yes
ECG
—
EMG
Yes
EOG
Yes
EDA / GSR
Yes
Temperature
—
Respiration
—
Microphone
—
Eye tracking
Yes

Signal acquisition

Sampling rate
250 Hz
ADC resolution
—
Notch filters
—
Onboard artifact rejection
—

Stimulation

Capable
—

Connectivity

Protocols
usb-c
Bluetooth
—
Bluetooth profiles
—
Concurrent mode
—
Encryption (transit)
—
Pairing methods
—
Cloud sync
—
Offline recording
—

Power

Sources
wired-usb
Battery life (active)
—
Charging port
—
Charging time
—
Battery replaceable
—
Notes
—

Physical

Weight
—
Dimensions
—
Materials
—
Sizes
one-size
Head circumference
—
Operating temp
—

Compute

Has onboard computer
No
Operating systems
—
Primary OS
—
Edge ML accelerator
No
Root access
—
App sandbox
—
3rd-party apps allowed
—
Notes
Sensor microcontrollers only — all analytics run on the tethered host PC (BrainFlow / OpenBCI GUI / Unity / Unreal). Galea has no general-purpose OS of its own.

Software & data

Mobile app
—
Cloud platform
—
Offline mode
—
Subscription required
No
Raw data access
Yes
Export formats
—
LSL support
—
Data ownership
user
Apps
—

SDK & developer access

Has SDK
Yes
Open source
Yes
Languages
—
Web Bluetooth
—
Raw sample access
Yes
BCI paradigms
—
3rd-party integrations
—
Docs
docs.openbci.com

Capabilities

Attention / focus
—
Meditation / calm
—
Neurofeedback
—
Meditation coaching
—
Sleep tracking
—

Security

Authentication factors
—
Per-user profiles
—
Requires account
—
Claiming methods
—
Ownership model
—
Activation lock
—
Remote lock
—
Remote wipe
—
Find my device
—
Notes
—

Firmware & updates

OTA supported
—
OTA transports
—
Update mechanism
—
Update channels
—
Rollback supported
—
Signed updates
—
Forced updates
—
User deferrable
—
Requires app companion
—
Average update frequency
—
Notes
—

Regulatory & clinical

FDA status
none
CE mark
—
Certifications
—
Prescription required
No
Pediatric approved
—

Pricing & availability

MSRP
$42,980
Current price
$42,980
Subscription
—
Warranty
—
Return policy (days)
—
Where to buy
Buy at shop.openbci.comBuy at channelxr.com

Accessibility

Works with hair
—
Works over glasses
—
Works over headwear
—
Languages
—
Pediatric minimum age
—

Media & links

Official site
galea.co
Product page
shop.openbci.com

Editor’s take

In favor

  • Six biosensor modalities + eye tracking + XR optics in one wearable
  • Open SDK, raw-sample access, BrainFlow / LSL / Unity / Unreal first-party support
  • Tier-1 XR optics via Varjo XR-3 / Aero
  • Data owned by the user; runs locally on host PC

Against

  • $25k–$43k all-in — research budgets only
  • Tethered to a desktop PC; no standalone mode
  • Beta program — limited availability and evolving spec
  • Varjo Aero is end-of-life; XR-3 is enterprise-only

Sources & provenance

Last reviewed