Sony shows off conceptual immersive gaming tech that lets you stand in a TV box and sniff The Last of Us
Curious to know what wild ideas Sony might be pondering for the future of gaming? Well, you’re in luck: it’s just unveiled new conceptual technology designed to ramp up immersion by sticking players inside a TV box and squirting smells into the room. So if you’ve ever wanted a whiff of Kratos after a hard day’s slaying, your dreams are now one step closer to reality.
Not that Sony’s Future Immersive Entertainment Concept (as it’s officially known) is likely to be coming to living rooms anytime soon. As its name suggests, this is very much a CES 2025-focused proof-of-concept, showcasing just one possible future avenue for more immersive gaming, and not something even remotely close to production. It is, though, kind of neat, in a wildly gimmicky kind of way – taking some already existing ideas (all-encompassing displays, atmospherics whiffs, and so on) then reimagining them with cutting edge tech.
Essentially, Sony’s Future Immersive Entertainment Concept is a giant cube of LED panels that completely surrounds the players inside. As they explore the game world – that of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us in the case of Sony’s new showcase trailer – players are bombarded with “audio, haptics, scent, and atmospherics” designed to draw them further into the experience.
Additionally, it’s possible to wield physical tools that interact with the world on-screen, and we’re shown a flashlight that only illuminates whatever it’s being pointing at, as well as various weapons. The downside to all this, of course, is that it’s really only convincing with static scenes (plus you’d need an arena-sized living room and a big wad of cash to accommodate it), but the upside is it could finally let you whiff the fruity fungal bouquet of a mouldering Clicker. Yum.
Some might argue a more immediately viable solution for greater gaming immersion would be VR, but Sony doesn’t appear to be in any particular rush to do anything meaningful with PSVR2 – so your closest equivalent to its The Last of Us immersive concept right now is probably standing in the kitchen with the lights off and getting someone to pelt you with mushrooms.
If all the above sounds like an excessively energetic way to get your The Last of Us fix, you could also just plop yourself in front of the TV ready for season two of HBO’s acclaimed live-action adaptation, which was recently confirmed to be airing this April. PC owners can also get stuck into The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered at the same time (3rd April, more specifically), but there might be a bit of a wait for new The Last of Us stuff given that Naughty Dog its currently working on sci-fi hack-and-slasher Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.