Metaverses are now capable of providing smells and toches

Key points:

• At the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show, a Metaverse-focused company demonstrated adding the sense of smell to a virtual reality experience.
• McKinsey & Company predicted that virtual universes could be worth $5 trillion by 2030.
• OVR Technology showed off a headset with a jar that holds eight flavors that can be mixed together to create different scents. 
• According to Aaron Wisniewski, CEO of OVR Technology, extended reality will soon be integrated with commerce, entertainment, social connection, education, and well-being. 

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At the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), a Metaverse-focused company demonstrated adding the sense of smell to a virtual reality (VR) experience.

A recent report by consulting firm McKinsey & Company predicted that virtual universes could be worth $5 trillion by 2030. However, the report notes that Metaverse's success requires a more developed human aspect that provides a positive experience for users. One of those catalysts could be the integration of smell and touch into the VR experience recently unveiled at CES.

As Fortune reports, one of those companies, OVR Technology, showed off a headset with a jar that holds eight flavors that can be mixed together to create different scents. The VR headset is reportedly coming later in 2023. Previous versions were used in scent marketing, allowing users to smell different environments, from roasted marshmallows to roses.

According to Aaron Wisniewski, CEO of OVR Technology, extended reality will soon be integrated with commerce, entertainment, social connection, education, and well-being. The CEO emphasized that fragrances bring "an unrivaled power" to these experiences.

Aurora Townsend, an executive at FireFlare Games, also shared that her company will launch a VR dating app that will also include immersive sensations like touch once the technology becomes available in the market.

At the same time, consumers are unlikely to get too enthusiastic about new developments. CES attendee Ozan Ozaskinli tested some haptic products and emphasized that it's still "very far from reality." However, the technology consultant also said it might be able to be combined with online meetings, as the technology allows users to actually feel something.

In 2022, blockchain technology and the metaverse are taking the CES event by storm. Various figures from the crypto space attended the event, including executives from the now-embattled FTX and Celsius networks. Brands showcased blockchain and metaverse developments at their booths, including Samsung, disclosing an NFT platform.