Synth Riders

Synth Riders is a music and rhythm game by Kluge Interactive. The original game is played with a VR headset and motion-tracked hands. Colored notes come toward the player, connected by long rails that the hands follow in time with the music. Obstacles require dodging with your body.

The game idea was later adapted for additional devices. On Nintendo Switch, Synth Riders is not a VR game but a separately designed rhythm game with hoverboard movements. The Apple Vision Pro version, by contrast, uses spatial display and hand tracking. Differences in controls and scope are therefore more important than the shared name.

The PC VR version came out on July 12, 2018 on Steam. On October 31, 2019, the developer studio announced the launch on Oculus Quest and the end of the early access phase. PlayStation VR versions followed, including the native PS5/PlayStation VR2 version on February 22, 2023.

Apple Vision Pro version with spatial adaptation released on Feb 2, 2024. Nintendo lists the Switch version for Germany as Dec 18, 2025. These versions are standalone native platform releases, not mere compatibility options.

The classic VR family includes PC VR via Steam, Meta Quest, and PlayStation 4 with PlayStation VR and PlayStation 5 with PlayStation VR2. Steam explicitly labels its PC version as VR Only and lists tracked controllers. A PS4 license or backward-compatible PS4 app does not prove an additional native PS5 release; Synth Riders has a separate PSVR2 version for PS5.

There is also an Apple Vision Pro game with hand tracking and a Switch release without VR. According to Nintendo, the Switch software runs in handheld, tabletop and TV mode. Its use on Switch 2 would be compatibility, not proof of a native Switch 2 release. A Vision Pro app must not automatically be counted as an iPhone/iPad version.

In the VR versions, colored targets are hit with both hands in time with the music. Linked notes guide the controllers through curves, while walls are avoided with body dodging movements. Scores reward the right timing and correct movement. The world uses bold neon colors, geometric landscapes and effects that react to the music.

The difficulty levels and different game modes allow both relaxed song rounds and precise score play. Unlike a game with fixed dance steps, arm movement along the rails remains decisive; presenting it as rhythmic body movement is part of the core concept.

The PC VR version on Steam can be expanded with individually sold music packs. These packs add to the available songs. Some Experiences also use specially staged visual sequences, rather than just adding a new soundtrack to the normal game environment.

Not every song, license or experience has to be available on every platform. Before buying, the supported version and the respective store are what matter. The Switch version, for example, advertises its own selection of 28 songs; this is not a claim to all songs from the VR versions.

Steam requires a compatible VR headset and tracked input devices for the PC version. Normal screen and keyboard controls do not replace the VR equipment required there. On PlayStation, the match between PS4/PSVR and PS5/PSVR2 is important.

The Nintendo Switch version, by contrast, does not need a VR headset. It works as a standalone game on the screen with supported Switch controllers. For the Vision Pro version, its spatial hand-based inputs apply instead. System requirements and controller options must not be carried over unchecked from one version to another.

On PC and supported VR systems there are single-player modes as well as online matches. The Steam version lists cross-platform multiplayer and online PvP. Supported VR versions can therefore play together regardless of the specific VR platform, provided the current software feature offers it.

On Nintendo Switch, multiplayer is organized differently: Nintendo confirms local versus and couch co-op for up to four people on one console. No crossplay with the VR versions can be inferred from this. Game content is therefore also not interchangeable based on the shared title alone.

The VR versions put players on a fully virtual rhythm stage. A mixed reality mode was later added for compatible Quest headsets, which places game objects into view of your real surroundings. Such spatial features depend on the headset and the specific version.

On Apple Vision Pro, notes are caught with hand movements, without requiring the usual VR handheld controllers. Apple explicitly describes this version as a music game adapted to the spatial system. It is not a simple screen mirror of the PC VR product.

For Switch, Kluge Interactive has visibly changed the gameplay. Players ride a hoverboard through neon landscapes, follow rails and dodge obstacles. Nintendo says it has 28 songs and supports one console with one to four players.

Playing head-to-head in versus mode or together in couch co-op is part of this Switch release. Nintendo lists the German release date as Dec 18, 2025. Running on Switch 2 through compatibility does not mean an additional native Switch 2 release.

On Mar 12, 2026, Kluge Interactive introduced a long-term Level-UP system: players can track performance stats and their own progress and advance their rank. The announcement confirmed the launch initially for Meta Quest and PC VR. It was explicitly not yet proof that the same feature was available on all other versions on the same date.

According to Steam, the PC version supports a level editor and custom songs. This lets you create rhythm maps beyond the official base content. Support for such content depends on the store and platform.

Kluge Interactive develops and publishes Synth Riders. The early PC VR game became a title with separate headset and non-VR versions. The studio has expanded the concept over longer periods with music packs, new control options, multiplayer features and progression systems.

An example of differing support periods is the older Oculus Rift Store version: Kluge announced it would end support, while PC players could keep using the Steam VR version. That is why a platform list alone does not mean identical updates or online services.