A new patent filed by Sony has revealed the company is exploring the idea of you being able to smell your games, as well as see and hear them.
Sony has proved via the PS5's DualSense that it wants those of you using its consoles to be as immersed in the worlds created by developers as possible. It's not done yet either. A new patent filed by the tech company has revealed it is trying to figure out a way to incorporate smell into its games. Whether it be the stench of a Call of Duty zombie or the pleasant smells in cooking games that are currently left to the imagination.
This is easier said than done for a number of reasons, and that isn't lost on Sony. The patent details not only how it plans on providing you with a game's smells, but also how it might adapt to the different people perceiving smells in different ways. It mentions competing scents, possibly caused by the environment and other factors in a game's surroundings.
Whatever Sony has planned, it won't be the first time a company has attempted to bring your sense of smell into a media experience. It was first attempted all the way back in 1960 via a movie called Scent of Mystery. Needless to say, the fad didn't catch on. However, if Sony can figure out an effective way of introducing the tech, it could soon become commonplace.
It feels as if Sony and PlayStation's top priority right now when it comes to gaming is immersiveness. The DualSense has been celebrated since the PS5's launch despite reports of drift from some users. Its adaptive triggers and haptic feedback have built on how a game feels, while the PS5's 3D audio has furthered how players hear a game.
With sight, sound, and touch covered, that leaves just two senses for Sony to master, and smell is next on the agenda. Should its patent become a reality, that will just leave taste. That might prove to be problematic, and might well be a mountain that doesn't need to be scaled. Barring some special games built around having to taste particular types of food, that final sense is one that might never need to be incorporated. Then again, finding out what a wumpa fruit tastes like would be pretty cool.
Source: GameRant