Smell-based gaming hardware has come and gone before without leaving much of a mark, but OVR Technology is taking another swing with the Omara Scent Display for Gaming. The desktop scent device is now live on Kickstarter ahead of an official launch later this year, with backer tiers starting at $249.
The VIP bundle at $249 is the entry-level option, packing in the Omara, a stand, and a Common Scents cassette. An Early Access tier at $299 includes the same rewards and is available through May 22. The Launch Bundle at $549, capped at 100 units, is the standout option for most gamers, since it packs in the device, stand, cassette, and all nine launch titles. There are also two Scent Engineer tiers at $3,000 each, where backers can co-design the scent integration for an upcoming game and earn an in-game “Scent Engineer” credit.
“The Omara brings the missing sense to video games: scent,” said Dave Stiller, CEO and co-founder of OVR. “It represents a leap forward in interactive storytelling, adding emotional depth, physicality, and a layer of immersion that players have never had access to before.”
The device itself is small enough to sit on a desk and connects to a PC, releasing scents within 500 milliseconds when triggered by in-game events before clearing them out to avoid lingering distractions. Each interchangeable cassette holds 16 distinct scents and supports about 100 hours of gameplay, with new cassette packs planned as the game library grows. OVR’s team of neuroscientists, chemists, master perfumers, and olfaction experts designed the base 16 scents alongside the in-game triggers.
