Peripheral manufacturer SteelSeries and developer Tobii are partnering up to create new eye-tracking technology for gamers seeking a deeper level of immersion, due sometime later this year.

Tobii and SteelSeries are currently developing a new form of eye-tracking hardware for PCs, currently titled EyeX; the development kit includes EyeX software from Tobii, with a sensor being part of the completed version. The project tracks eye movement and “passive-gazing” as an alternate way to interact with in-game items and NPCs (non-playable characters); the pitch video demonstrates the software being used to initiate the conversation prompts in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and mini-map integration within StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm:

An EyeX dev-kit can be pre-ordered through Tobii for $95; the final, consumer version is expected to be available in mid-2014.

Sources: Tobii Eye Experience, Polygon