While the idea of Smell-O-Vision has been a long-standing gag, this technology was actually a real technology that was introduced in 1939. It’s hard to imagine how that would have been implemented with limited technology back in the day, but with the introduction of AI and the future in general, a company has introduced a way to take advantage of adding immersion to gaming via differing scents which is based on what’s being played on the screen.GameScentis aiming to push gaming forward with the ability to fill the room with an aroma that matches the game being played. Can this device actually reinvent the gaming experience or does this continue in line with the long-standing gag of Smell-O-Vision?
What’s That Smell?
GameScent comprises of an aroma diffuser and a box used to recognize the sound of a scene via AI. The AI decides what is being played and diffuses a scent into the air based on what is being played. There are six aromas that come with the kit, with one being a clean air option that’s used to periodically clear out the scent. The actual aromas include racing cars, explosion, forest, gunfire and storm. The issue with these is that they don’t smell like they should, but rather focus on adding to the atmosphere of the game being played. When playing a racing game, one would think it would smell like rubber or gas, but that doesn’t sound superbly great. Strangely, the smell that’s dissipated is still a strong aggressive smell that can’t be described as one thing.
If anyone has ever caught a whiff of a gun being fired, it’s more sulfuric. This scent may be the closet scent in comparison to the description that’s advertised, but it doesn’t smell like a gun going off. Forest and storm makes one think of maybe pine trees and rain, but neither replicates that either. The scent also doesn’t encapsulate the room, as the entire design of the setup includes rather short cables that are more destined for a desk rather than a living room. you may read a description of the scentshere, but more are promised in the future. These include blood, ocean, grass and sports arena. Out of all of the scents, grass is the one that can make the difference especially with sports titles. Blood and sports arena are rather strange choices. The cartridges are easily refillable as well, which means just like purchasing any other aroma diffuser, users will need to purchase more.
How Does This Work?
The GameScent includes six cartridges that are easily inserted into a pod. The pod is aesthetically pleasing with subtle blue lighting in a large black octagon-shaped box that’s about the size of a desktop speaker. Users will need to download an app to use this as it cannot be used on its own as an aroma diffuser. Within the app, users can customize what slot emits what scent and forcefully emit the scent as well. Strangely, the app provides how much use each slot has left, but it isn’t accurate. It can be emitted with nothing in it and it drops the percentage usage.
The issues start to really rear themselves from here as the cables are extremely short. This doesn’t work well outside of a desk environment as the AI converter box needs to attach to it then attach to the console/pc. This also works with VR, but with short cables like this, it isn’t viable unless the player is stationary and directly in front of it. If using a racing cockpit, the diffuser needs to be directly next to the player in order to get a whiff of the scent. The player’s positioning has to cater to this setup for it to be viable.
GameScent Devices Uses AI to Create Game-related Aromas
GameScent aims to fully immerse the player into the game world they are currently in.
Technology Holds It Back
If one can get past the aromas not feeling correct and the positioning, the actual AI converter box is where the major shortcut comes in. This was tested with both a PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, mainly due to HDMI outputs. The converter uses HDMI and also has ports for 3.5mm audio. Using a headset and switching over to use 3.5mm audio never worked properly. The biggest killer comes with the lack of proper 4K passthrough. HDR isn’t happening at all, which isn’t the end of the world, but when trying to play a game in 4K, there’s no sound due to bandwidth limitations. This means if one wants sound through a speaker, you’ll be heading over to 1080p. Then there’s the issue of added input lag, which will ruin any game that requires quick reactions.
The solution for doing the 4K passthrough with sound from a PlayStation console means using a headset connected to the controller. There’s no 3.5mm output, so this may work better for PC. It’s suggested to not use a smart TV from the manufacturer, which really only leaves gaming monitors and with a good bit looking for high frame rates, means that this will be held back by having to use HDMI and not the Display Port. Basically anyone with a modern console has a smart TV, so this further backs up having to utilize a desk setup to maximize GameScent, thus letting this device dictate how games are played.
Closing Comments:
There are a lot of hurdles to get the most out of GameScent and the results aren’t worth it. This is a good idea on paper that was executed with a lot of shortcuts just to get the device working. It’s not false advertising as the device does work, but hurting the gaming experience is an issue mainly on modern consoles. One would think this would be cost cutting measures, which they could be, but when the retail price is $179.99 (currently on sale for $149.99 onAmazon) this is a steep price to recommend this product. This doesn’t include having to purchase refills for the scents, which aren’t even available yet. What ultimately is a great idea on paper ends up following in the line of Smell-O-Vision.
