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. .