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I saw the future and it literally stinks
PC Gamer writer Joshua Wolens tested the Scentbar, a desktop device that uses software and AI to identify what is happening in a game and release matching smells. Although he considers it an unnecessary novelty, he found that it worked surprisingly well, adding scents to scenes in a bakery game, Minecraft and other titles.
The device can hold up to 10 scent cartridges, including forest, grass, pineapple, flowers, bakery, sea, farm, garage, smoke and gunpowder. Users can adjust how confidently the software must identify an on-screen event before releasing an aroma, but cannot yet add their own scents because of safety concerns; the demonstration convinced Wolens that the technology functions, even if it has little practical value.
In short
- Scentbar adds smells to games based on on-screen action.
- It can hold up to 10 different scent cartridges.
- The writer found it effective but entirely unnecessary.
Explained simply
The Scentbar is a desktop device designed for video gamers that releases scents in response to what happens on screen. Using artificial intelligence and connected software, it identifies in-game events and triggers matching aromas from its cartridge library.
The device can hold up to ten scent cartridges with different aromas, from forest and bakery to sea and gunpowder. Users can adjust how certain the system needs to be before releasing a scent, though custom scents cannot be created due to safety concerns.
This represents an emerging attempt to add sensory dimensions beyond sight and sound to gaming experiences. Scent-based technology in entertainment is still in its early stages, making such devices part of a broader exploration into more immersive gaming.