When playing games, we are mainly influenced by hearing and, in the case of the DualSense controller, by touch. Device GameScent it intends to expand our senses with smells and allow us to discover how the worlds in which we spend time smell and smell. One might say this is a joke like the old Assassin's Creed trailer for Kinect on April Fool's Day, but this one is serious.
GameScent currently intends to provide players with six scents via interchangeable cartridges. The artificial intelligence system is supposed to be able to read the situation on the screen and release one of the “scents”. There is the smell of gunpowder during gunfights, fire and burning during explosions, hot asphalt and fumes during car races, storms, forest smells and clean air. It is supposed to neutralize all other smells in the room.
In the trailer we can see Red Dead Redemption 2, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice and a racing game. “Studies have shown that smell imprints itself on long-term memory more strongly than anything else,” wrote GameScent president Casey Bunce in a press release. “With GameScent, we hope to elevate player experiences to be exciting and memorable like never before.”
GameScent is already sold at Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy and GameStop e-shops from $150 to $180. New scents are planned in the future. Among them should be a sports arena, blood and freshly cut grass.
Importantly, GameScent can read situations in games without any intervention from developers. So it works independently. Although the question is how reliably. We will find out from the reviews in the future. Assuming this unusual thing finds a buyer.
Can you imagine such a thing? Maybe in conjunction with virtual reality? If so, what smells would you like?