CES 2023 Shows Touch And Smell Are The Next Big Thing For The Metaverse

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 has a number of companies in attendance, which includes those who are focused on the metaverse.

These companies showcased that the virtual reality (VR) experience has now incorporated the sense of smell as well.

New report

McKinsey & Company is a consulting firm, which recently published a report. It predicted that a value of about $5 trillion could be generated by the metaverse by 2030.

But, it was also noted in the report that a more human-developed aspect would be required for the success of the metaverse because this would help in providing the users with a more positive experience.

One of these aspects could be an integration of the sense of touch and smell into virtual reality (VR) experiences and these were indeed highlighted at the CES this year.

According to reports, OVR Technology was one of the companies that showcased a headset that had a container of eight aromas that could be used for creating different scents by mixing them together.

The release date of this particular VR headset is going to be sometime later this year. It also had an earlier version that had been used for fragrance marketing.

The version allowed people to smell different environments, ranging from a bed of roses to marshmallows roasting.

More immersive sensations

The chief executive of OVR Technology, Aaron Wisniewski, said that it would not take long for extended reality to be incorporated into the world of education, entertainment, well-being, social connection, and commerce.

The CEO further added that these experiences could enjoy ‘unmatched power’ thanks to scent. Aurora Townsent, a FireFlare Games executive, also shared what their company was doing.

She said that they were working on introducing a VR dating app that has also integrated immersive sensations, such as touch, after the availability of the technology in the market.

Less excitement

However, it appears that the new development has not done much to excite the consumers. Some of the haptic products were tested by CES attendees and they were not too pleased with them.

This is due to the fact that they believe these products are still not close to reality now. But, it is possible that these products could be integrated into online meetings and users would be able to feel something via the technology.

The CES 2022 event had seen the metaverse and blockchain technology dominate. The event had seen a lot of attendees from the crypto space, which include executives of the FTX crypto exchange and crypto lender Celsius Network.

Now, both of the companies have filed for bankruptcy. A number of brands had showcased their metaverse and blockchain developments.

These included some big names, such as that Samsung, which had revealed its NFT platform. But, the same does not apply this year.

While there were companies focused on metaverse and blockchain, interest seems to have dampened in the sector significantly, as opposed to the previous year.