This week, with the launch of Synthwave Essentials 3 on PlayStation VR & PlayStation VR2, we’re celebrating 5 years of rail control in Synth Riders, our freestyle dance rhythm game. Join us as we look back at our biggest development milestones and reveal a special birthday gift for all players.
Synth Riders is the brainchild of Creative Director Abraham Aguero and Lead Developer Jhean Ceballos and is a “love letter” to Synthwave music and rhythm games like the Hatsune Miku series, all of which are written by encapsulated in retrowave art style to match.
With continued feedback and support from the community, we’ve delivered numerous gameplay improvements and new platform-centric features:
- In 2020, Synth Riders is the first mainstream VR rhythm game to offer cross-platform multiplayer for up to 10 players, and also the first VR rhythm game to offer cross-platform multiplayer at launch. eyes on PlayStation VR2.
- Always looking to create a new twist in our gameplay, we’ve added features like Multiplayer Power-ups and Spin Mode in 2020 and Spiral Mode in 2021.
- Our aim is to explore the potential and take full advantage of PlayStation VR2’s special features, such as the headset’s response to hitting a wall and improved tactile feedback for notes and rails. Thanks to inside-out tracking, we were also able to bring full 360+ Shooting Mode to PlayStation VR2 with Synth Riders Remastered.
- Leveraging our cross-platform leaderboard, the PlayStation VR 2 community has joined the ranks of the global Synth Riders, with over half a million individual best scores recorded by PlayStation VR2 players since launch.
We’ve come a long way with the amazing Synth Riders community on our five-year journey of musical discovery, from indie artists to industry heavyweights:
- From humble beginnings with just 13 songs in 2018 reflecting a single musical genre, the game’s soundtrack has expanded to over 125 available tracks (including 68 plus 57 Add-ons). sung) from indie artists and labels, introducing players to a variety of genres, including synthwave, EDM, electro swing, pop, rock, funk, ska, k-pop and punk.
- Additional music packs paved the way for Synth Riders to bring incredible artists to the game – such as Muse, The Gorillaz, Bruno Mars, The Offspring, Parov Stelar, Lindsey Stirling, Caravan Palace, etc.
Here are the five most popular Add-On songs among PS VR2 players:
- Muse – “Starlight”
- Gorillaz – “Feel Good Inc”
- League of Legends – “Legends never die”
- Lindsey Stirling – “Underground”
- Muse – Algorithm (Alternative Reality Version)
We’ve also been trying to redefine the look and feel of games with bigger, bolder and brighter visuals and experiences for 5 years:
- Synth Riders Experiences made its debut in 2021 with Muse’s “Algorithm”. These critically acclaimed immersive “music videos” surround the player with unique, artistic visuals crafted to perfectly match the song, offering a distinctive combination of visuals, sound and movement.
- We treat each Experience as a work of art, from our 3D artist’s creative direction to animation. They take 2-3 months from concept to completion. The results of that care are something we’re very proud of, and we’re glad they’re now seen by many as a ‘must play’ VR experience.
- With the release of Synth Riders Remastered for PlayStation VR2 in 2023, every visual of the game has been remastered, meaning the best fidelity experience available to Synth Riders today is still PlayStation VR2, with its stunning display. beautiful and deep black. At the launch of PlayStation VR2, Synth Riders Remastered was offered as a free upgrade from the original PS VR, including all purchased Add-ons, in appreciation of the PlayStation VR community’s support since from 2021.
To celebrate our 5th anniversary, on July 11, we’re adding a 14-track pack, Synthwave Essentials 3, that pays homage to the game’s musical and aesthetic roots. This bundle includes five free songs as a birthday present and five paid additional songs. We’ve also “Back to Synths” and included an improved version of our classic default stage for you to enjoy in-game right now. We hope you will like it.
From the Synth Riders team at Kluge Interactive, we thank all the players in the PlayStation VR community for their support over the years. From humble beginnings to today, we are delighted to have you on this journey with us!
