PlayStation can brag all it wants about the DualSense and its haptic feedback, but one sense that it’s not engaging when in the middle of your latest gaming binge is your sense of smell – a fact that Xbox is looking to exploit.
As bizarre as it might sound, Microsoft has added a new layer of depth to the sensory realm of gaming. Bringing together two very different worlds, Microsoft has recently revealed the “world’s first ever pizza-scented controller,” serving us with an aromatic gaming experience inspired by the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem movie.
This gustatory gimmick is baked into four specially designed, ooze-green TMNT Xbox controllers, each with a built-in scent diffuser in the shape of a slice of pizza, cheekily strapped to the back. This isn’t just any pizza slice either; it’s a “delicious New York ‘za'” as Microsoft so deliciously describes it.
The controllers are a tie-in with the much-anticipated TMNT movie, featuring a star-studded cast that includes big names like Hannibal Buress, John Cena, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Post Malone, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, and Maya Rudolph. As part of the film’s promotion, these controllers seek to replicate the ambiance of the turtle’s underground New York City hideout (minus the grime and sewerage, of course).
Each of the four controllers mirrors one of the iconic Turtle brothers – Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo – in its unique design. Colorful and eye-catching, they not only promise to transport you into the TMNT universe but may also inspire a pizza craving or two mid-game.
In typical Microsoft fashion, the controllers aim to put a fun spin on gaming, much like recent creations such as the Barbie-themed Xbox Series S, for example. However, this aromatic adventure comes with a catch. You can’t simply waltz into a store and buy these mouth-watering controllers off the shelf. They’re being dished out as part of a sweepstakes giveaway. Xbox aficionados have to follow Xbox Game Pass on Twitter and retweet the sweepstakes tweet to have a shot at winning one of these limited-edition controllers.
Besides the novel pizza scent, winners will get a three-month Xbox Game Pass and a bottle of customized pizza-scent liquid fragrance. This could either be the perfect topping to your gaming experience or serve as a fragrant weapon in case you ever need to stink up a room.
For those keen to get a whiff before they commit, the controllers are on display at the Microsoft Experience Center on 5th Avenue in New York City. And if you’re lucky enough to nab one of these one-of-a-kind controllers but find the scent too overwhelming, don’t fret. The pizza-shaped scent diffuser can be detached, transforming the device into a traditional Xbox controller but still bearing the unique TMNT-inspired design.
While gaming innovations generally focus on enhancing graphics, sound, or haptic feedback, Microsoft has taken an unexpected yet memorable detour. By introducing smell into the mix, they’ve not only crafted a unique marketing strategy for the upcoming TMNT movie but also opened the door to a future where gaming could be a feast for all senses, not just sight, sound, and touch.
If its latest collaboration with Barbie is to go by, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is in for an excellent time at the global box office, possibly mirroring the success of another hit animated film, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
