You can smell the VR world coming

Ha. A classic.

VR is obviously all about enhancing experiences that we have with our everyday sources of entertainment. But I don't think that the first, third or fifth concept that arises to most people from the term 'VR' would be 'scent'. Therefore, it makes you very special to have searched for such keywords that directed you to this blog post.

Scents can add an entirely new dimension to VR. Vaqso, based in Tokyo, has added a scent-emitting attachment to a VR headset. This device currently has room for three different scents and it can vary their intensities. Imagine this on a larger scale. In an open world game, you can talk walk up to a 1960s’ gangster and actually smell the pungent odour coming out of his cigar. In a survival game there could be strong monsters who are completely silent, but let out a certain scent that alerts you to the danger of their nearness.

Click to read more about Vaqso

This element can take on a subtler levels as well. Again in a survival game setting, getting closer to a camp where someone put out a fire recently can gradually intensify the scent of burnt wood or cooked food.  Many things about navigation can be substituted or complemented by scent, making games more intensive. Of course, scent can be used to simply enhance and intensify all kinds of experiences. Taking a break from monster-hunting you could sit on a field looking at a sunset, use your arm to grasp the ground, then bring that hand close to your nose and smell fresh grass. I mean whaaaat how cool would that be?

Scent is often a trigger for childhood memories and plays a very important role in long-term memory. Perhaps in the not-so-far future the tech will take steps to incorporate scents in all kinds of VR worlds!