The last generation of gaming brought rumble packs for controllers to maximize the sense of touch, while the current generation has delivered 3D games designed to make players feel more visually immersed in the action. Now, multiple companies are banking on smell to be the major sensory addition to the next generation of digital games.
Small boxes that use cartridges similar to home air freshening devices have been developed by Scent Sciences and Sensory Acumen to provide the new dimension in gaming. The box is sent signals from programming cues within games to release scents that coincide with the action happening on the player’s screen.
But adding to the atmosphere of a game is just one aspect of the devices, according to Dvice:
“More importantly, smells can be used to convey in-game information. So with a driving game, for example, you could enjoy the smell of burning rubber and exhaust much of the time, with a little bit of burning clutch mixed in for good measure if you don't know how to shift properly. Or with a game that's more plot-driven, smells can be used to give you clues or reminders. Or say you're playing a first person shooter and you're stalking aliens down a dark hallway — a fresh waft of alien b.o. could clue you in to an ambush.”
Sensory Acumen’s GameSkunk and Scent Science’s ScentScape “digital scent delivery” systems will cost around $70, though the scent cartridges for the games themselves will likely be inexpensive. Each cartridge can contain up to 20 different scents and will last approximately 200 hours. The systems will connect to PCs and game consoles via a USB or Bluetooth connection.
It doesn’t appear that there are very many gaming developers on board with the technology to make these devices worth purchasing quite yet, but the idea is still young and seems to have potential. Being a woman who makes a big effort to keep my house smelling fresh, I’m not sure that adding the smell of burning rubber to driving and racing games (my favorite) sounds terribly appealing. Also, I don’t even want to think about the smell of a war zone or “alien b.o.” of my husband’s favorite games. This may just be an item that is best suited for the frat house or bachelor pad.
