Philips is making a dramatic return to the industry with new technology that will bring ambient light, colour, sound, heat and airflow to gamers' experiences. Four years in the making, the amBX technology will see dedicated peripherals work with enabled games. For example, lights will beam colours around the room to recreate the environment of the game, fans can blow to simulate mountain winds, heat will blast out to represent enemy fire and so on.

amBX will launch initially on PC, with plans in place to roll it out on consoles later.

Philips is currently finalising licensing deals with peripherals manufacturers to create a range of products that will take advantage of games incorporating the technology.

The firm is not yet naming titles, but insists it is working with some of the world's leading developers, with announcements due soon.

It anticipates the first software and peripherals will launch next September, with five games due by the end of the year.

Philips says it has already shown amBX to key retailers, developers and publishers and had 'an extrememly positive reaction'. The firm is looking into the possibility of mobile demo units for stores as well as a roadshow to coincide with a major marketing push in 2006.

"Our goal is to make sure it?s available to everyone and becomes a de facto standard."