SynthVR
- January 31, 2021
- 42tones
- 5h median play time
Get on SteamSynthVR is a single-player musical game that offers around 5 hours of playtime, immersing you in a sci-fi fantasy modular synthesizer environment based on the Eurorack standard. With 30+ synth modules, shareable creations, and audio rate control signals, you can craft a variety of sounds, from ambient drones to hard techno, while animating your virtual surroundings. The game features multichannel audio recording options and a community patch library, ensuring a limitless supply of unique bleeps and bloops.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- SynthVR offers an incredibly immersive and intuitive experience for exploring modular synthesis, making it accessible even for beginners.
- The game allows for endless creativity with sound design, providing a fun and engaging environment to experiment with various modules and configurations.
- The developer has shown responsiveness to feedback, and there is a strong community aspect with the ability to share and explore patches created by others.
- The game suffers from a lack of modules and versatility, limiting the potential for more complex sound design and creativity.
- There are significant quality-of-life issues, such as the absence of in-game tutorials, limited save slots, and a need for more intuitive controls and locomotion options.
- The developer has not provided updates or new content in a long time, leading to concerns about the game's future development and support.
- music15 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music aspect of SynthVR is highly praised as an affordable and immersive tool for exploring modular synthesis, making it accessible for hobbyist musicians and music tech students. Users appreciate the engaging experience and community-driven content, although some note limitations like the absence of swing functions in sequencers. Overall, it is regarded as one of the best VR applications for music creation, offering endless creative possibilities and fun for music enthusiasts.
“This is a great music creation tool for those who are interested in experiencing modular synths but don't have the cash to shell out to buy actual synth modules.”
“As a hobbyist musician, this has been a great way to learn modular synthesis very cheaply.”
“In fact, I think this is the single best app for music creators that is currently available in VR.”
“That being said, there are some caveats when it comes to SynthVR that become blatantly obvious once you spend a considerable amount of time within this music play space.”
“There's also, unfortunately, no swing functions in sequencers, which definitely limits the styles of music you could potentially make in here.”
“As a music tech student, I've always wanted to play around with modular synthesis but never had the facilities to do so.”
- story5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight that while SynthVR offers an engaging experience for users, particularly those using the Quest 1/2, the story aspect is somewhat limited by the processing capabilities of the platform. Users appreciate the value of the app compared to real-world modular systems, but the technical constraints can hinder deeper engagement with the narrative elements.
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to repetitive tasks such as creating the same module groups and managing mixer channels. Suggestions for improvement include streamlining processes to enhance creativity and reduce the need for constant menu navigation.
“This would speed up creativity and you'd be able to use what you've learned in the past and build upon it, since I find myself making the same groups of modules over and over, which gets tedious after a while.”
“Having the name of the particular connector show up when you highlight it, since looking back into the menu to find what it is becomes tedious.”
“Having to turn off every channel on a mixer after spawn is tedious.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The graphics in SynthVR are praised for their simplicity and effective design, creating a convincing illusion of physical interaction with a modular synthesizer. The thoughtful spacing and size of controls enhance the immersive experience, while CV-controlled background elements add depth to the visual presentation.
“From the simplicity of the graphic design to the spacing and size of the controls, SynthVR creates the believable illusion that you are physically interacting with a modular synthesizer system.”
“CV-controlled background graphic elements.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The optimization of interactions in VR is generally accurate and enjoyable, but users report occasional clumsiness during intense moments, making it challenging to confidently grab the right controls when under pressure. While this issue is not a major concern, it can affect performance in critical situations.
“While the interactions are accurate and feel great for VR, there is a touch of clumsiness in interactions if you are in the heat of a performance.”
“In most cases, this problem isn't really a big deal, but if you are trying to work through a build-up during a performance, then grabbing the right control with confidence can be tricky at times.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
While Synthvr offers enjoyable gameplay, players feel that the addition of more quality-of-life mechanics could significantly enhance the overall experience.
“SynthVR is fun, but a few quality of life game mechanics would elevate it to a whole new level.”
“SynthVR is fun, but there are just a few quality of life game mechanics that could elevate it to a whole new level.”
“The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged for long periods.”
“There are too many bugs and glitches that disrupt the gameplay experience, making it frustrating at times.”
