Synth Riders
Synth Riders is a freestyle-dance VR rhythm game developed by Kluge Interactive, sold as a base game, DLC music packs, and premium Experiences across Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2, SteamVR, Pico, Apple Arcade, and Viveport. The studio serves VR fitness enthusiasts, rhythm gamers, and music fans of licensed artists like Queen, Muse, Gorillaz, and Kendrick Lamar.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Synth Riders does
Synth Riders is a freestyle-dance virtual reality rhythm game developed and published by Kluge Interactive (d/b/a Kluge Strategic, Inc.), a privately held independent studio headquartered at 4751 La Villa Marina, Marina del Rey, California. The studio has continuously operated and updated the franchise for nearly eight years since its 2017–2018 launch, distributing the title across all six major VR storefronts—Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2, SteamVR, Pico, Apple Arcade, and Viveport. The legal entity dates to 2008 and is led by CEO Arturo Perez and Founder/Creative Director Abraham Aguero.
The core product combines rail-riding and obstacle dodging with full-body motion, supporting cross-platform multiplayer, mixed-reality passthrough, spatial audio, and a free custom Beatmap Editor for user-generated content. The library comprises 78–81 free licensed tracks plus approximately 85–90 purchasable DLC tracks spanning themed packs (Gorillaz, Muse, 80s Mixtape, 90s Rock, Current Waves, Lindsey Stirling, League of Legends, Cyberpunk Essentials), supplemented by premium Synth Riders Experiences™—synchronized music-video journeys (Barbie Dance 'n Dream, Kendrick Lamar HUMBLE., Muse, The Offspring) priced at $2.99 each. Recently added features include the Challenges+ modifier system (April 2025) and the Level UP player progression system (March 2026), described as the studio's largest feature update to date.
Synth Riders generates revenue through a diversified, transaction-led model: one-time base-game purchases across VR storefronts, DLC music bundles ($7.99 per bundle or $1.99 per song), premium Experiences ($2.99 each), platform subscription inclusion fees from Meta Quest+ and PlayStation Plus Premium placements (which compresses direct game sales but expands reach), branded merchandise via RedBubble, and active community channels (Discord, Reddit, Facebook groups, The Kluge Collective creator program). The product is positioned at the intersection of VR gaming, mainstream music licensing, and VR fitness, with user-reported outcomes of 500+ calories burned in 30-minute sessions. Customer segments span VR fitness enthusiasts, VR rhythm gamers, music fans of the licensed artists, and social VR players, served through a community-led, creator-amplified, and platform-distributed go-to-market motion.
Synth Riders firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Synth Riders
- Legal name
- Kluge Strategic, Inc.
- Website
- https://synthridersvr.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Synth Riders is a freestyle-dance VR rhythm game developed by Kluge Interactive, sold as a base game, DLC music packs, and premium Experiences across Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2, SteamVR, Pico, Apple Arcade, and Viveport. The studio serves VR fitness enthusiasts, rhythm gamers, and music fans of licensed artists like Queen, Muse, Gorillaz, and Kendrick Lamar.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Synth Riders industry classification
Industry- Product category
- VR Rhythm Games
- akta.pro primary industry
- Live Performance & DJ Software (Playback, Mixing, Lighting Control) (MPAIAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mobile Music Creation Apps (Beatmaking, Songwriting, Practice) (MPAIAIAC)
Keywords
Where Synth Riders is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Synth Riders business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others
Revenue model
- Base Game Sales: One-time purchase of the core Synth Riders game across VR platforms
- DLC Music Packs: Purchasable themed music packs featuring licensed tracks from artists like Muse, Gorillaz, Queen, Lindsey Stirling, League of Legends, etc. Priced at $7.99 bundle or $1.99 per track
- Synth Riders Experiences™: Premium immersive Experiences with synchronized visuals priced at $2.99 each
- Platform Subscriptions: Revenue from platform providers when game is included in Meta Quest+ or PlayStation Plus catalogs
- Merchandise: Branded merchandise sold through RedBubble including hoodies, t-shirts, and mugs
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Gorillaz Music Pack bundle with 7 songs |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | 90s Rock Music Pack bundle |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Kendrick Lamar HUMBLE Experience |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Triple Sweat Bundle (3 VR fitness games) |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Core game base tracks |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels10 records
Synth Riders product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Synth Riders is a freestyle-dance virtual reality rhythm game where players ride rails, dodge obstacles, and freestyle dance to licensed music. The core product ships with 78+ licensed songs and is expanded through purchasable DLC music packs ($7.99 bundle or $1.99 per song) and premium Synth Riders Experiences™ ($2.99 each), with cross-platform multiplayer available across Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2, SteamVR, Pico, Apple Arcade, and Viveport.
Product overview
Synth Riders is a freestyle-dance VR rhythm game developed by Kluge Interactive. The core product is the base game featuring 78+ licensed songs with cross-platform multiplayer. The portfolio includes purchasable Music Packs (DLC) featuring major artists like Gorillaz, Muse, Lindsey Stirling, Queen, and League of Legends. Synth Riders Experiences are immersive animated music video journeys synchronized to tracks. Additional features include Challenges+ mode with power-ups, the Level UP progression system, and a free Beatmap Editor for custom song creation. The Kluge Collective is a content creator support program. Available on Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2, SteamVR, Pico, Viveport, and Apple Arcade.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Synth Riders Experiences: Meticulously crafted animations inspired by and perfectly synchronized to music, creating immersive music video journeys within the game.
- The Kluge Collective
- Level UP
Products and services
- Synth Riders (base game) A freestyle-dance virtual reality rhythm game where players ride rails, dodge obstacles, and freestyle dance to licensed music. Ships with 78+ licensed tracks and supports cross-platform multiplayer, available across Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2, SteamVR, Pico, Apple Arcade, and Viveport.
- Synth Riders Music Packs (DLC) Purchasable themed music packs (DLC) featuring licensed tracks from major artists. Each pack typically contains 5 tracks sold at $7.99 per bundle or $1.99 per individual song.
- Synth Riders Experiences™ Premium immersive Experiences — meticulously crafted animations inspired by and perfectly synchronized to music, creating animated music-video-style journeys within the VR game. Examples include Barbie Dance 'n Dream, Kendrick Lamar HUMBLE., Muse "Algorithm" (Alternate Reality Version), Muse "Starlight", Lindsey Stirling "Underground", and League of Legends "Legends Never Die".
- Challenges+ Mode Solo gameplay mode that brings multiplayer-style power-ups and obstacles into single-player sessions, with modifiers such as Random colors, Invaderz, Warp, Embiggen, Minimize, Prismatic, and Vanish to increase replay value.
- Level UP Progression System Player progression system tracking performance stats, levels, and milestones with social sharing capabilities and friend comparisons, described as the biggest feature update in Synth Riders' history.
- Beatmap Editor Free editor that lets players create custom beatmaps for their own songs, enabling user-generated content and extending play into personal music libraries.
- The Kluge Collective Content creator program that supports and empowers XR content creators and artists, providing collaboration opportunities with Kluge Interactive developers for VR/MR content.
Quantifiable outcome
- Users can burn 500+ calories in a 30-minute session according to Apple Watch tracking
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Synth Riders
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Synth Riders technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature6 records
Synth Riders partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Resolution Games (Racket Club)coreVR fitness collaboration through the Triple Sweat initiative, combining Synth Riders with Racket Club and Pistol Whip in a joint fitness challenge and bundle promotion. Joint marketing campaign #TripleSweatVR with 30-day fitness challenge and cross-promotional bundle sales.
- Cloudhead Games (Pistol Whip)coreVR fitness collaboration through the Triple Sweat initiative, combining Synth Riders with Racket Club and Pistol Whip in a joint fitness challenge and bundle promotion. Joint marketing campaign #TripleSweatVR with 30-day fitness challenge and cross-promotional bundle sales.
- Meta (Platform)corePlatform distribution partner for Meta Quest store and Meta Quest+ subscription service. Game available for direct purchase and free through Quest+ subscription.
- Sony Interactive Entertainment (PlayStation)corePlatform distribution partner for PlayStation VR2 and PlayStation Plus subscription. Game available free through PS Plus Premium catalog.
- Valve Corporation (Steam)corePlatform distribution partner for SteamVR/Steam platform.
- ByteDance (Pico)minorPlatform distribution partner for Pico VR platform in China market.
- Apple (Apple Arcade)minorPlatform distribution partner for Apple Arcade subscription service.
- HTC (Viveport)minorPlatform distribution partner for Vive VR platform.
- DiscordcorePrimary community platform hosting Synth Riders Discord server for player support, community discussion, and direct engagement between players and dev team.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Synth Riders competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Within (VR content platform): VR content distribution platform (parent of Supernatural). Adjacent incumbent that aggregates VR fitness content and competes for subscription VR-fitness wallet share.
- Schell Games (Among Us VR, I Expect You To Die): Larger independent VR development studio. Competes for VR platform real estate and consumer mindshare across multiple VR genres including rhythm-adjacent titles.
Direct peers
- Resolution Games (Racket Club): Developer of Racket Club and other VR titles. Direct peer in VR fitness gaming and a Triple Sweat Bundle co-marketing partner, competing for the same VR fitness consumer.
- Supernatural (Within): Subscription-based VR fitness experience combining workouts with curated music. Competes for the same VR-fitness-segment consumer and shares the licensed-music-driven engagement model.
- Harmonix (Audica, Dance Central VR): Developer of Audica and Dance Central VR. Established rhythm-game studio with VR rhythm/dance titles, competing for the same VR music-game consumer base.
- FitXR (formerly Box VR): VR boxing and fitness studio with subscription DLC content. Same VR fitness category, same cross-platform (Meta Quest, SteamVR, PSVR) distribution strategy, same DLC-pack monetization.
- Cloudhead Games (Pistol Whip): Developer of Pistol Whip, a VR action-rhythm game. Direct competitor in the VR rhythm/fitness category and a formal partner via the Triple Sweat Bundle and 30-day fitness challenge.
- Beat Games (Beat Saber): Developer of Beat Saber, the dominant VR rhythm game. Same product category (VR rhythm), same target customers (VR gamers and fitness users), same monetization (base game + DLC music packs). Now owned by Meta, the largest VR platform operator.
- Kinetic Games (Audio Trip): Developer of Audio Trip, a VR rhythm/dance game. Direct competitor in the VR rhythm niche with similar freestyle movement and music-pack monetization.
Emerging players
- Ossus Games (OhShape): Developer of OhShape, a VR rhythm/wall-slicing game. Smaller indie competitor in the same VR rhythm category with overlapping fitness positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Synth Riders social profiles
Digital presenceSynth Riders financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Synth Riders leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Synth Riders funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Synth Riders M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Synth Riders
What does Synth Riders do?
Synth Riders is a freestyle-dance virtual reality rhythm game where players ride rails, dodge obstacles, and freestyle dance to licensed music. The core product ships with 78+ licensed songs and is expanded through purchasable DLC music packs ($7.99 bundle or $1.99 per song) and premium Synth Riders Experiences™ ($2.99 each), with cross-platform multiplayer available across Meta Quest, PlayStation VR2, SteamVR, Pico, Apple Arcade, and Viveport.
Is Synth Riders a public or private company?
Synth Riders is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Synth Riders founded?
Synth Riders was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Synth Riders based?
Synth Riders is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Synth Riders make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Base Game Sales are the primary driver. The others are DLC Music Packs, synth Riders Experiences™, platform Subscriptions and merchandise.
Who are Synth Riders's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Within (VR content platform) and Schell Games (Among Us VR, I Expect You To Die). Direct peers are Resolution Games (Racket Club), Supernatural (Within), Harmonix (Audica, Dance Central VR), FitXR (formerly Box VR), Cloudhead Games (Pistol Whip), Beat Games (Beat Saber) and Kinetic Games (Audio Trip). Ossus Games (OhShape) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Synth Riders have an API?
No public API is recorded for Synth Riders.
What industry is Synth Riders in?
Synth Riders's product category is VR Rhythm Games. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAIAI, Live Performance & DJ Software (Playback, Mixing, Lighting Control), with a secondary code of MPAIAIAC, Mobile Music Creation Apps (Beatmaking, Songwriting, Practice).