Sony is going all in with a new sniff your way gaming system. And the game they are starting with? The Last of Us.
Oh, the questions we have – so many. And rightfully so.
Sony released a trailer for the smelly concept at this year’s CES in Las Vegas. It shows a big cube surrounded by LED screens that allows players to step into games. Already you can understand this isn’t likely something you’ll be experiencing any time soon – at least, at home.
Players are able to experience The Last of Us with beefed up audio and, smell-o-vision, which is billed as a new additional experience. Because, of course it is.
From Sony’s trailer:
“This Future Immersive Entertainment Concept aims to explore these possibilities. This proof-of-concept project combines the latest location-based technologies, Sony Crystal LED panels, engaging audio, haptics, scent, and atmospherics to fully immerse you into the world of the story.”
Its definitely difficult to imagine a game less worthy of smelling than one featuring a post-apocalyptic world with rotting zombies, but that’s where we are at. Maybe you’ll smell a zombie and shoot first before visually identifying?
In case you are curious, Sony has likely thought all of this through. Four years ago, they filled a patent for scent-based gaming. Most of us assumed this would lead to culinary gaming experiences – am I right?
How Scents Could Elevate Gaming Experiences
Let’s pause for a moment to dream about the cooler, less stomach-turning possibilities of scent-based gaming. While The Last of Us might have us gagging on zombie stench, other games could take full advantage of this sensory addition in ways that make us rethink immersion.
Imagine playing an adult VR game and catching the faint aroma of perfume. Or consider a racing game where you smell rubber burning on the track, and the pit crew’s environment fills the air with the distinct tang of gasoline.
For cozy gamers, the possibilities are even more delightful. A baking game could let you actually smell fresh bread as it “comes out of the oven,” or a farming simulator could waft scents of freshly cut grass and blooming crops.
The trick would be balancing immersion with player comfort. No one wants to feel nauseous after hours of gameplay, so developers would have to tread carefully when introducing unpleasant smells. Still, this tech could redefine how we interact with games, blending the lines between the virtual and the real.