This is no joke: A company called Elevated Perceptions has created a TV accessory that uses AI to identify what's happening during your favorite shows and movies, by releasing a scent to match. The device is called MovieScent and will be available in September for $179.
According to a product press release sent to Tom's Guide, MovieScent will come pre-packaged with six scents: Ocean, Fresh Cut Grass, Restaurant, Forest, Storm, and Fresh Laundry. By diffusing relevant scents, MovieScent enhances the movie-watching experience in a way that even the best TVs can't do on their own.
Fresh Laundry, the final scent in the box, can be sprayed after the movie ends to “neutralize previously released odors” and make the room smell normal again. Well, as normal as a room can get after filling it with restaurant water. Elevated Perceptions claims that each scent can be secreted 4,000 times before needing to be refilled; the company plans to release new scents like Fire, Jungle, Zombie, New Car, and Blood in the weeks following the launch.
To connect to your TV, simply plug in MovieScent via HDMI, a 3.5mm audio jack, or an optical audio cable. Then, it uses AI to “identify key clues and events in the content” and diffuse an appropriate scent.
4D cinema in your home cinema
Honestly, if this had been announced on April 1st, you might dismiss MovieScent as just another wacky prank put on by a company looking for easy media coverage. But no, MovieScent has a Amazon Page where you can add the item to your wish list.
At $179, you're actually buying a Glade smart add-on that emits… unappealing odors at certain intervals. That might be a tough sell to home theater enthusiasts, even though 4D theaters have somehow survived for most of the last century.
Unsurprisingly, this isn’t Elevated Perceptions’ first sensory accessory. Earlier in 2024, the company announced GameScent, a similar device that caters to gamers with scents like Gun Fire, Explosion, and the generic but semi-intriguing Racing.
Since these devices work with relatively common connection standards, the company says you can also use them with PCs, mobile phones, tablets, gaming systems, and virtual reality (VR) headsets, if you're also keen to experience the content on those devices.
Granted, I don't really like my room smelling like zombies and blood, but hey, for people looking to immerse themselves in their favorite movies without having to attend the nearest screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” MovieScent is a clever solution to a strange and niche problem.