2014 is likely to be an exciting year for gaming. We’re currently well into the ‘golden age’ with the next generation consoles just about being the cherry on top of the cake. But this is gaming, and developers won’t be resting until that cherry is high definition, three dimensional, and more than likely giving of a strong scent of, well, cherries.

There are a whole host of revolutionary new products set for release in the foreseeable future. Sony have already announced theirs, PlayStation Now, which could eventually see us playing PS4 games on our mobiles, but it isn’t just the big two who are changing gaming. We take a look at the top five products that will change the way we play.

Eye Tribe

Eye Tribe has now started shipping its first units after a successful launch as CES 2013, and will no doubt become a regular fixture in the future of mobile gaming. At a reasonably priced $99, the device is the ultimate hands free and uses eye tracking to navigate through apps and games.

The Danish developers behind Eye Tribe hope to eventually partner with hardware makers in order to integrate the tracking tool into tablets and mobiles, which is no doubt the point when everyone’s eyes will light up.

Wireless Energy Transfer

Mobile gaming is growing at an enormous rate. One in five people own a smartphone, whilst the mobile gambling industry alone is set to be worth around $100 billion by 2017. But there continues to be one major problem, battery life. Extended sessions on the likes of Royal Vegas Mobile can seriously drain batter, and the introduction of wireless energy transfer such as Samsung’s wireless charger will mean you can play for longer, without having to be sat by the plug socket.

The concept is still only very early in its life, but is likely to develop very quickly over the next few years.

Oculus Rift

The Oculus Rift looks like a Star Trek prop, and is a device which is likely to change the way we play entirely. Of course virtual reality headsets aren’t entirely new to us, but this model will mark a significant improvement on previous efforts such as Nintendo’s Virtual Boy.

With an incredible 110 degree diagonal field, it will immerse you in a virtual reality, playing from your own point of view and take consoling to the next level completely.

Digital Scent

We were introduced to the first smell application at the end of 2013 with the one off Poptopia, but it is a sure sign of what’s to come. The unique dongle for the app sold for $315 on eBay, and marks the beginning with the likes of Scent Sciences looking to follow on.

Their device, ScentScape, is taking pre-orders soon and will emit scents relating to the game, such as gun smoke in the likes of Call of Duty, or the ocean in Championship Bass.

Motion Controls

The Nintendo Wii kick started the motion control revolution back in 2006, with Microsoft and Sony following shortly. However these devices are far from perfect.

The next gen consoles will be looking to develop the technology further whilst the likes of Leap Motion Controller is already out there on the market. Priced at $79.99, it was featured in Time Magazine’s Top 10 Gadgets of 2013 and adds much more interactivity to gameplay. Using a motion sensor, it detects natural movement allowing you to point, wave, reach and grab.

Cheers!