As current-gen hardware continues to tout innovations like SSD and haptic feedback, developers are undeniably keen on boosting the immersion in their games. The likes of VR and motion controls have paved the way for many unconventional means of immersion, but out of all of humanity’s five senses, taste has nearly always been left out of the loop – until now! By the looks of a new taste-sensitive lickable TV, it appears gaming may have some delicious new possibilities on its plate.

As reported by Reuters, a Japanese professor by the name of Homei Miyashita created a prototype television screen capable of imitating the taste of various foods. Called Taste the TV (‘TTTV’ for short), the device operates through a set of 10 flavor canisters, which combine to recreate a multitude of food flavors displayed on the screen. Built for the current COVID-19 era, TTTV was designed with replicating the restaurant experience, whether it be “on the other side of the world” or “staying at home.”

? This TV, that was created by a Japanese professor, allows you to taste what appears on screen https://t.co/JWVhiU94z1 pic.twitter.com/MnHC6xF8f9

— Reuters (@Reuters) December 23, 2021

While Taste the TV was mainly created for culinary purposes, the potential for other applications such as education, food sprays, and entertainment was discussed as well – including gaming. Titles like Cooking Simulator and the food-centric adventure Bugsnax could easily benefit from this technology, as would classic confections like the Cake from Portal or the Sweet Rolls from The Elder Scrolls series, just to name a few. On top of that, there’s also KFC’s chicken-crisping KFConsole to think about as well.

Considering the mainstream strides of VR and in-game realism in recent years, the desire for players to actually taste games almost definitely exists. However, as a commercial version of Taste the TV is said to cost around 100,000 yen, or $875 USD to produce, perhaps there’s a little ways to go before being able to affordably taste the rainbow. With that said, it is Miyashita’s hope that TTTV might eventually become a digital platform, where a large library of flavors can be readily downloaded and enjoyed. Tasteflix, anyone?

H/T PCGamesN

​What do you think? Would you be interested in getting a lickable TV screen, or would you be too tempted to lick unspeakable things? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day!​

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