Sony’s ‘immersive entertainment concept’ could let you smell zombies

With CES 2025 in full swing, one of the trade show’s most intriguing exhibits is a proof-of-concept entertainment experience from Sony. Currently, the PlayStation company is showing off what a future arcade could look and smell like, while showing what is essentially as close to a Star Trek holodeck as possible.

According to Sony, the Future Immersive Entertainment Concept combines Crystal LED panels, audio, haptics, aromas and atmospheres with a PlayStation game like The Last of Us to create an interactive experience. You could compare this to a 4D version of Duck Hunt, but with people horribly mutated by a fictional cordyceps fungus instead of mallards, and we don’t even want to know what rotting mushroom-monsters smell like in a world devoid of personal hygiene products. .

Visually, it’s a compelling step into that grim world thanks to the realistic graphics. This isn’t the first time Sony has revealed concept gaming hardware, as in May 2024, the company showed off a High-tech PlayStation controller in a promotional video, showing a radical departure from the standard DualSense device.

In other The Last of Us news, a new trailer for the second season of HBO’s live-action adaptation of the game debuted this week and also confirmed an April 2025 release window for the show. Developer Naughty Dog has also hinted that it will continue the game series with The last of us part 3 and the studio is currently working on a sci-fi adventure called Intergalactic: the heretic prophet.