Will we be able to smell games?

The future of the game world will probably be a lot more multifaceted than we suspected. Indeed, a new trend that is currently emerging includes fragrances for games. Will we be able to smell games soon?

You can hear and see games. That’s two senses out of five. For now, feeling, tasting, and smelling are still missing. But as gaming is becoming more inclusive, developers are working diligently to make the gaming experience even more immersive. And we might be able to smell games soon too.

Wondering how games like Call of Duty or CS:GO would smell? Depends on the map, but probably something like rock, moss, smoke, explosives, sweat, grass, forest, gasoline, etc.

Other games like League of Legends or Dota 2 would probably be completely different. For example, some characters might smell like caramel, lavender, vanilla ice cream, cedar, cotton, apple pie, musk, or citronella, which is a lot nicer than sweat and explosives. At the moment, there isn’t a game that actively contributes a smelling experience, but in the anime space, there is already something like that.

The Flavor Shooter

There is a device on the market called the Aroma Shooter. It was presented at CES 2023 by Japanese developer Aromajoin. According to the company, the Aroma Shooter “can digitize aromas and create a new communication channel”. In short, make the gaming experience even more intense.

The device works quite simply. The Aroma Shooter shoots (as the name suggests) aromas at you while you gamble. The product consists of two technical parts: the shooter itself and the aroma cartridge. The aroma cartridge is a device that can mix multiple fragrance combinations. It’s a cordless gadget that sucks in air and creates a scent that’s fired towards your nose, but only very lightly, so you’re not shot down with the scents like a sniper.

The company will soon launch a crowdfunding campaign for the Aroma Shooter wearable for virtual reality. You can also buy an Aroma Shooter 2 and six cartridges for around €1000 directly from Aromajoin. The cartridges can also be purchased separately.

How will the community react to the trend?

Right now, all aroma gaming is in its infancy, but we’ll likely see even smaller gadgets and more sophisticated scents in the years to come. The question is whether or not it will resonate with the gaming scene. While the idea behind it is actually pretty good, the smell experience is probably more for the special occasion (especially considering the prices) than for everyday use. Also, smells are something very specific and private.

Some people don’t like lavender at all, while others love it. And with a “bad” smell, it can quickly become unpleasant for the fine noses out there and then it quickly goes from a delicate scent to an odor nuisance. It just depends on how sensitive you are to something like that and what game you’re playing. All in all, however, it’s surely an interesting trend that should continue to be observed.

Header: Aromajoin