Gaming Just Got Smell-Tastic – Sony’s New Tech Lets You Sniff the Action!

Imagine playing The Last of Us and not just witnessing the post-apocalyptic devastation but actually smelling it. The scent of burning wood, damp earth, and decaying ruins filling your nostrils as you navigate a world in collapse. Sounds surreal, right? Well, Sony is making it a reality.

At CES 2025, Sony unveiled its Future Immersive Entertainment Concept (FIEC), a massive LED cube designed to engulf players in their favorite games. This high-definition, full-surround display doesn’t just rely on stunning visuals and crisp sound—it introduces smell into the mix, taking immersion to a whole new level.

Sony Unlocking New Dimensions in Immersion Tech

Sony's FIEC isn't something you can install in your living room just yet. For now, it's a proof of concept, demonstrating how scent can elevate gaming experiences. It builds on years of research into haptic feedback and AI-driven sensory integration. The idea?

A combination of machine learning and scent-dispensing technology detects in-game environments and triggers the corresponding smells. If you’re in a forest, you’ll catch hints of pine and damp leaves. In a battlefield, gunpowder and smoke. It’s an ambitious step towards full sensory immersion—one that could redefine how we experience digital worlds.

Did GameScent Do it First?

While Sony’s cube remains an exclusive concept, GameScent has already brought smell-enhanced gaming into homes. Released in 2024, this external device syncs with gameplay, analyzing on-screen events to release matching scents. Picture playing Call of Duty and getting a whiff of gunpowder after every shot. Or diving into The Legend of Zelda and inhaling the fresh scent of Hyrule’s rolling fields.

GameScent currently offers aromas like forest, storm, and gunfire, with “blood” (yes, really) among upcoming releases. It may not be as seamless as Sony's immersive cube, but it’s a step in the right direction—and a sign that gaming is moving towards full sensory realism.

Asus Enters the Scent Game- With a Fashion Twist

Gaming isn’t the only place where scent is making an impact. Asus is taking fragrance tech into a different realm—laptops. In a surprising collaboration, Asus has partnered with luxury fragrance brand Anna Sui to launch the Adol Book 14 Air Fragrance Edition.

This isn’t just a stylish, high-performance laptop. It’s one that smells good. A built-in fragrance dispenser allows users to swap between three unique scents: Be a New Her, Basil and Mandarin, and Rose of Man's Land. These fragrances, while not direct replicas of Anna Sui’s existing perfumes, add a personalized, sensory touch to everyday computing.

Beyond its scent-driven novelty, the 14-inch OLED display, 240Hz refresh rate, and 32GB RAM make it a powerhouse device. And if you’re worried about running out of good smells, Asus even throws in a 50ml bottle of Anna Sui's Secret Wish Eau de Toilette. Because why not?

We’ve seen gaming, laptops, and even storytelling start to incorporate scent. But what’s next? Researchers are already developing AI-driven scent simulation capable of mimicking temperature and pressure. Imagine VR experiences where you can feel the heat of a desert or the icy chill of a snowstorm. Or interactive movies where each scene is accompanied by its own aroma.

One thing’s for sure: smell is the next big frontier in tech. Whether it’s stepping into Sony’s scent-infused gaming cube, getting a whiff of battle in Call of Duty, or even enjoying a fresh laptop experience, the future of immersion is something we can literally breathe in.