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Official @neuralink Video Published 8 Apr 2021 Duration 3:28 ID rsCul1sp4hQ

Monkey MindPong: technical breakdown, key moments and clinical context

Published on 8 April 2021 ('Monkey MindPong', 3:28), this famous preclinical milestone shows Pager, a nine-year-old macaque implanted with two wireless N1 Link devices in bilateral hand-motor cortex. As Pager moves a physical joystick to hit targets, a linear decoder calibrates in the background against firing rates from hundreds of cortical neurons; when the joystick cable is unplugged, Pager continues playing Pong wirelessly using only his neural activity.

8 Apr 2021Published dateOfficial @neuralink Video · 3:28
rsCul1sp4hQYouTube Video IDChannel UCLt4d8cACHzrVvAz9gtaARA · Embeddable (200 OK)
Preclinical Non-Human Primate Milestone (2021)Evidence classPreclinical Non-Human Primate Milestone (2021)
Foundational & preclinical milestonesPrimary topicPaired with /neuralink/timeline
Key points
  • Primary record: Official @neuralink video (rsCul1sp4hQ) published on 8 Apr 2021 (duration 3:28).
  • What it shows: First public validation that the fully implanted, wireless, inductively charged N1 form factor could stream high-channel motor spikes for real-time closed-loop cursor control.
  • Technical pathway: Bilateral N1 implants in macaque motor cortex → wireless Bluetooth stream → real-time 1D/2D cursor & Pong control.
  • Evidence boundary: 3:28 preclinical NHP demonstration (8 April 2021); preceded human trials by nearly three years.

Watch the official video record

Poster illustration for Monkey MindPong
Official @neuralink Video 8 Apr 2021 · 3:28 Preclinical Non-Human Primate Milestone (2021)
Monkey MindPong

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Watch on YouTube ↗
Source: Neuralink (@neuralink) · Channel UCLt4d8cACHzrVvAz9gtaARA · Video rsCul1sp4hQ · Checked 30 Oct 2026 Direct YouTube link ↗

Official upload from @neuralink (8 Apr 2021, 3:28).

Read verbatim official @neuralink YouTube description & caption provenance

Caption & verification basis: English auto-generated captions (Official video playback, English caption track, official description, and primary Neuralink disclosures).

Pager, a nine year old Macaque, plays MindPong with his Neuralink. 

www.neuralink.com

Technical pathway and evidence classification

Video notes · 8 Apr 2021 · Video (3:28) Monkey MindPong · Wireless 1,024-Channel Motor Decoding
EVIDENCE CLASSIFICATION Preclinical Non-Human Primate Milestone (2021) Video ID: rsCul1sp4hQ Published: 8 Apr 2021 (3:28) PRIMARY SUBSYSTEM Foundational & preclinical milesto Channel: @neuralink (verified) Embed: Embeddable (youtube-nocookie) INTERPRETATION BOUNDARY Investigational Context Not FDA marketing approval Verify against clinical registries
Technical pathway Signal & hardware chain

Bilateral N1 implants in macaque motor cortex → wireless Bluetooth stream → real-time 1D/2D cursor & Pong control

Analytical scope What to keep in mind

3:28 preclinical NHP demonstration (8 April 2021); preceded human trials by nearly three years.

Timestamped breakdown and key moments

Sequential moments in Monkey MindPong (3:28)
TimestampSegment / eventWhat happens in the segment
00:00Implant placement & wireless calibrationExplains how two N1 devices record >2,000 channels across both motor hemispheres while Pager uses a joystick.
01:15Real-time neuron firing rate tuningVisualizes individual cortical units increasing their spike rates for upward vs. downward movements.
02:10Joystick unplugged: wireless MindPongPager controls the Pong paddle smoothly with neural intent alone while enjoying a banana smoothie reward.

What this video demonstrates—and what it does not establish

What this video demonstrates

  • First public validation that the fully implanted, wireless, inductively charged N1 form factor could stream high-channel motor spikes for real-time closed-loop cursor control.

Scope limits & what it does not establish

  • Preclinical non-human primate milestone from 2021; human clinical validation followed in 2024–2026 under the PRIME Study.

How this fits into Neuralink's broader clinical and hardware roadmap

This video sits inside the Foundational & preclinical milestones (2019–2022) research track on StonkBuilder's independent Neuralink hub. All Neuralink hardware (the N1 implant and R1 surgical robot) and clinical programs (PRIME NCT06429735, CONVOY, and VOICE NCT07224256) remain investigational and have not received FDA commercial marketing authorization. Read our full companion guide at Foundational & preclinical milestones (2019–2022) for cohort context.

Companion Deep-Dive Explainers

Research Explainer

Verified timeline (2019–2026)

Complete primary-source chronology of Neuralink from its 2019 launch and 2021 MindPong to FDA IDE clearance, 21 human participants and 2026 VOICE speech trials.

Open topic guide →Research Explainer

How Neuralink works

Learn how Neuralink's 1,024-electrode N1 implant, R1 surgical robot and real-time neural decoders translate brain signals into cursor and speech commands.

Open topic guide →Research Explainer

Telepathy & cursor control

Explore how Neuralink PRIME study participants use Telepathy for wireless cursor control, CAD design, digital painting, gaming and handwriting decoding.

Open topic guide →

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Sources checked 30 Oct 2026

Sources and official records

  1. [1] Neuralink YouTube (2021-04-08): Monkey MindPong · Verified 30 Oct 2026
  2. [2] Neuralink: Official YouTube Channel (@neuralink, UCLt4d8cACHzrVvAz9gtaARA) · Verified 30 Oct 2026
  3. [3] Neuralink: Official website and investigational device notice · Verified 30 Oct 2026
  4. [4] Neuralink: Approach & Technology (N1 Implant, R1 Robot, Neuralink App) · Verified 30 Oct 2026
  5. [5] Neuralink: Clinical Trials and Patient Registry · Verified 30 Oct 2026