AI-powered gaming Smell-o-Vision promises scent of gunfire, storms, and explosions

Official box art of GameScent from Elevated Perceptions.
Official box art of GameScent from Elevated Perceptions. (Image credit: Elevated Perceptions)

If you've ever wanted to see the "Smell-o-Vision" concept come to your video games, you're in luck— GameScent, a product from Elevated Perceptions, may be just what you're looking for. Using A.I. that analyzes the gameplay of the title you're playing, the GameScent is able to emit aerosol scents that correspond to whatever's happening on your screen.

Eventually, the GameScent is set to allow more than just the six scents that come pre-packaged with the device, since each "scent" comes in the form of a cartridge that you have to insert into the unit for it to operate.

Here are the initial six scents:

  • Clean Air — Meant as an air/scent purifier after other cartridges have been used/you're finished watching or playing.
  • Explosion 
  • Forest 
  • Gun Fire 
  • Racing 
  • Storm

And here are some planned for the future:

  • Blood — Depending on how they duplicate this, could be truly nauseating.
  • Fresh Cut Grass — Oh hey, Green Leaf Volatiles (GLVs) like you get from cutting grass! Probably, anyway.
  • Ocean
  • Sports Arena

Besides using scent cartridges, GameScent achieves its desired effect by using AI to analyze the footage of your gameplay (via HDMI passthrough)— or even a movie, should you wish to use GameScent as your own personal smell-o-vision for non-gaming content.

GameScent is currently available on Amazon for $149.99 at the time of writing, before taxes or shipping costs are applied.

This isn't the first attempt at providing an at-home "4D" experience. For example, the Whirlwind FX "Vortx" is pretty much just a combination heater-and-fan that adjusts the temperature based on what's onscreen in the game you're currently playing.

Meanwhile, TechSpot mentions three other examples: a South Park game fart-smell accessory, a VR mask that can support up to 9 of 255 available scents, and even an impressive VR arcade cabinet originally covered by Engadget.

As the latest entrant into the market of peripherals hoping to provide a "4D" experience, time will tell whether GameScent becomes an industry staple or is eventually lost to history, like most quirky peripherals are.

Christopher Harper
Contributing Writer

Christopher Harper has been a successful freelance tech writer specializing in PC hardware and gaming since 2015, and ghostwrote for various B2B clients in High School before that. Outside of work, Christopher is best known to friends and rivals as an active competitive player in various eSports (particularly fighting games and arena shooters) and a purveyor of music ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Killer Mike to the Sonic Adventure 2 soundtrack.

  • BX4096
    Admin said:
    And here are some planned for the future:

    Sports Arena

    That's a nice euphemism for "sweat, piss, and vomit".
    Reply
  • Roland Of Gilead
    No, just no! I'm all for immersion and all, but this is ridiculous.
    Reply
  • 3tank
    Admin said:
    GameScent, a riff on the Smell-o-Vision concept that operates with "scent cartridges"

    AI-powered gaming Smell-o-Vision promises scent of gunfire, storms, and explosions : Read more
    As if a gamer's room didn't smell bad enough...or maybe it would be an improvement
    Reply
  • 3tank
    BX4096 said:
    That's a nice euphemism for "sweat, piss, and vomit".
    The box includes a gently-used jockstrap to wear like a face mask
    Reply
  • Notton
    It's a little early for April Fools...

    I don't mind being blasted with air or a little mist of water, like in 4DX movie theaters, but smell? no thanks.
    Reply
  • stonecarver
    Oh god any of you guys remember in the 1970's I think it was Playboy had a scratch and sniff centerfold. My girl friends mother walked over to the magazine rack did the scratch and point blank looked at me than to her daughter. Put the magazine down and just kept shopping.
    Reply
  • PEnns
    Seriously, blood as well?

    What's next, rotting corpses and latrines??
    Reply
  • CmdrShepard
    PEnns said:
    Seriously, blood as well?

    What's next, rotting corpses and latrines??
    Strawberry flavored female farts for your dating sim?

    Oh wait I know... smell of freshly printed MONEY!
    Reply
  • Sippincider
    Each "scent" comes in the form of a cartridge that you have to insert into the unit for it to operate.

    Following HP's business model.
    Reply
  • 3tank
    Notton said:
    It's a little early for April Fools...

    I don't mind being blasted with air or a little mist of water, like in 4DX movie theaters, but smell? no thanks.
    Don't give Only Fans any ideas
    Reply