A new wearable device is gearing up to take the world of virtual reality (VR) by storm. Meet the Nosulus Rift, which will soon make you forget about the Oculus Rift!
The Nosulus Rift is the brainchild of Ubisoft and the latest wearable headset to cash-in on VR gaming. However, unlike current-gen VR headsets, the Nosulus Rift takes things in a different direction — it taps into your olfactory senses.
Basically, the Nosulus Rift allows a gamer to smell. One needs to strap the headset to on their nose and can continue to play as normal. However, when your character farts, you will be able to smell it!
Sounds gross, right? Makes you wonder what prompted the company to create a VR device that can perform such a strange feat. The folks at Ubisoft were motivated thanks to the upcoming South Park game, The Fractured But Whole.
This title essentially has a new character, whose superpower is ahem, farting. The character deploys "the power of the ass" to fight off enemies and move. Since a fart is not visible, Ubisoft — the publishers of South Park: The Fractured But Whole — devised the Nosulus Rift to offer gamers an immersive experience and take things up a notch.
"In South Park: The Fractured But Whole, you are playing the new kid in town, a hero. And one of your special abilities is really the power of your ass. The only way to really help people experience that strength is to really make sure that they can feel it. And that means getting really close. This time we wanted to come up with the most authentic, most immersive way for players to be able to experience the power of the new kid," notes Jason Schroeder, Ubisoft San Francisco senior producer.
The team arrived at the current model for the Nosulus Rift after many sleepless nights and dozens of prototypes. It basically resembles a minimalistic mask, albeit a high tech one.
While the Nosulus Rift may come across as an atrocious wearable tech, it seems to have hit a note with gamers.
"I'd just started playing the game when it came to my nose. I've never felt anything so strong before. The fart stinks so real! Best immersive experience ever," shared a gamer who tested the Noculus Rift.
Currently, Ubisoft is only making the Nosulus Rift available for demonstrations at conventions. The device will go on sale when South Park: The Fractured But Whole is released on Dec. 6 for Xbox One, PC and PS4.
Check out the video below to see the Nosulus rift in action.
