If you’re into rhythm-based VR games, you’ve probably at least heard of Synth Riders. One thing that you may not have realized is that the game is four years old today. Naturally, this is a cause for celebration. So, in celebration, the game is getting two new songs free to players – bringing the game’s collection of free songs up to almost 60.
A Look at Four Years of Synth Riders
Synth Riders went into early release on Steam in 2018. Since then, the game has become available for the Quest, VIVE, and PSVR. Now that Pico has a consumer version of their stand-alone model in the UK and Europe, it will be fun to see when Synth Riders appears there too.
The game hasn’t only grown in terms of platform availability. Publisher Kluge Interactive has added new scenes and play modes, and – naturally – plenty of new songs. Like VR games in general and VR fitness games in particular, Synth Riders grew in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It didn’t just profit, however. Through promotions and new game modes, it helped us stay fit indoors. In April 2020, Synth Riders announced “Synth Sundays” – a weekly live fitness session – along with a slew of other updates.
Just a few months later, the game was part of a “first-of-its-kind collaboration” when it launched in a package with OhShape at a steeply discounted price. This hit approach repeated again and again as bundles with other popular fitness games continued to roll out.
Some of the game’s most recent updates include the “Synthwave Essentials 2” music pack in January, and “Merry Synthams” update in December. In addition to a festive song release, and stickers for the multiplayer game mode, the game added support for six new languages.
The Birthday Update
So, what’s in the birthday update? Gamers get access to two new songs, Finesu’s “On My Way” and Skybreak’s “Stardust,” available in-game inside of the Ninety9Lives pack starting today. The former is an upbeat electro-pop song while the latter is a dubstep beat – both sure to lend themselves very well to Synth Rider’s gameplay.
And, bear in mind, these songs are free to players, but they’re also free to monetize. That’s big news because the Synth Riders community largely grows through its massive creator community. Players can stream and post videos of themselves playing through the new tracks without needing to worry about copyright problems.
As in previous updates, this year’s birthday release also includes “decals.” These are used to decorate the virtual stage that players stand on during gameplay. There will also be new in-game challenges – but not even we know what they are yet, so you’ll have to play the game to find out.
The game’s social media pages will also be the site of a special “gleam campaign” sponsored by KIWI Design. Check out those channels to see how you could win money toward controller grips, or commemorative Synth Riders shirts.
Here’s to the Future
We hope that you’ve enjoyed taking this stroll down memory lane with us to celebrate four years of rhythm-fueled fun and fitness in VR. Of course, nobody expresses the sentiment better than the team themselves, which they shared with ARPost in an advance release.
“Four years on, I am still amazed and delighted by the growth of our community and their creativity – how they connect and share the game and the experience of playing it with others,” said Creative Director Abraham Aguero Benzecri. ”We are still going strong, I am excited about what the future of Synth Riders will bring!”
