Gamers can now chew on Doritos as loudly as they want, as Doritos has introduced Doritos Silent, a new “crunch cancellation” software that leverages AI to eliminate the distracting sound of snacking while gaming. The software, which was created in partnership Smooth Technology, was trained on the sound of over 5,000 Doritos crunches, granting gamers the ability to continue enjoying what is apparently one of their favorite snacks without disrupting their fellow players’ performance. The software is available now as a free download for Windows PCs.
“The connection between Doritos fans and the gaming community is undeniable,” said Fernando Kahane, Global Marketing Head at PepsiCo. “Both boldly and unapologetically embrace their individual flavors. ‘Doritos Silent’ recognizes this bond and demonstrates the brand’s continued commitment to innovation and elevating the experience for gamers who choose Doritos.”
“Working with Doritos to create this cutting-edge technology has been an incredible journey,” said Dylan Fashbaugh, the lead developer at Smooth Technology. “We all know that gamers love Doritos, but that unmistakable crunch can often disrupt those intense gaming moments. With ‘Doritos Silent,’ we’ve worked to ensure gamers can enjoy the crunch of Doritos without disturbing their fellow players, making for a better gaming experience.”
Doritos Research Findings
- In the UK, 46 percent of gamers dislike the sound of other people eating.
- In Portugal and Spain, 68 and 64 percent of gamers respectively rank crisps or chips first when asked which food items create the worst noise while they’re gaming and the other person is eating.
- In the US, 30 percent say that other people crunching distracts them from playing well or impacts their performance.
Designed in partnership with Smooth Technology, a leader in electronic and interactive design, the groundbreaking new ‘crunch cancellation’ technology took six months to develop and involved the technical analysis of more than 5,000 different crunch sounds.
By expanding this new technology to all PC gamers, Doritos hopes its silence can benefit the 80 percent of millennials and Gen Z who classify themselves as gamers.
Doritos teased the idea of “making Doritos silent” with social media and out-of-home advertisements that featured Doritos chips in-place of noise-cancelling headphones in the UK, US, Spain, Poland, Brazil and Portugal promising that “you won’t hear it coming.”