Every few years, someone else comes out with some kind of new-fangled device that's supposed to increase the realism of your movies, games, and everyday office life (really, more the first two than the third). We've seen all sorts of creative implementations: devices that use small fans to blast air into your face to simulate you flying through the skies in your favorite Superman games (or flight sims, presuming you aren't jetting around in an F-14), as well as devices that puff little scents into the air to make you feel as if you really are playing football on freshly-cut grass, or that some digital companion of yours just farted, et cetera.

With the growing, mainstream appeal of virtual reality headsets, it was only a matter of time before some crafty company decided to combine immersive visuals with scents. As reported by The Verge, Feelreal was showing off a demonstration of its own sensation-blasting headset at this year's Game Developers Conference. As you might expect, the presentation was interesting, to say the least.

The Feelreal headset isn't its own virtual reality device. Rather, it straps on to an existing headset like the Oculus Rift, the Samsung Gear VR, or Sony's Morpheus headset (to name a few). The sensation is unique, to put it mildly.

"Virtual reality headsets blind you, but they do it by making the inch of space between your eyes and a screen feel huge. With Feelreal, though, you're just strapping a foam block over your mouth and nose, putting yourself at the mercy of its air vents. It's a gas mask arranged into a little smiling face," described The Verge's Adi Robertson.

To its credit, Feelreal's headset does a decent job of recreating sensations using a variety of techniques: Odors blasted toward your nose, hot air sent across your face, and a gentle water misting dripped onto your cheeks. Nevertheless, the experience didn't quite thrill Robertson, who summed up his trip through a virtual reality rainforest, waterfall, and fire as "pure, unfettered fear."

According to Feelreal's website, the Bluetooth-based headset works for four hours of continuous sensation-generation (and comes with a rechargeable battery). It can shake your noggin' using a built-in "vibro engine," and you can install a removable cartridge for scents that supports seven different smells: ocean, jungle, fire, grass, powder, flowers, and metal.

Preorders for the Feelreal headset start at $250.

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