PlayStation VR launch title ‘Thumper’ hits PS4, PC ahead of schedule

By Danny Cowan October 10, 2016

Anticipated PlayStation VR launch title Thumper will debut ahead of schedule on Monday night “to surprise and reward everyone who’s been waiting years for Thumper to come out with the chance to play a bit sooner,” according to its developers.

The upcoming release will brand Thumper as one of the first PlayStation VR games available on Sony’s online marketplace, predating the launch of the PlayStation VR headset itself.

Developed by a two-person team on a limited budget, Thumper is a fast-paced action game in which players guide a space beetle on a psychedelic descent into a hellish void. Like fellow PlayStation VR launch title Rez Infinite, Thumper‘s gameplay is tied to a backing music track, drawing players into a multi-sensory experience.

In addition to its announced PlayStation VR support, Thumper arrives as one of the first titles to take advantage of the PlayStation 4 Pro console’s added hardware horsepower, though players will not see any tangible benefits until the upgraded console launches on November 10.

“We’re excited to announce Thumper will support PS4 Pro from day one,” Drool studio co-founder Marc Flury said. “We’ve worked hard to perfect Thumper‘s graphics tech and the extra power lets us push our original vision even further.

“On PS4 Pro, Thumper will render at up to 4K resolution (With no upscaling!) for the ultimate high-gloss HD experience. PS4 Pro also enhances the VR rendering quality while maintaining the same rock-solid 90 frames-per-second.”

While Thumper‘s virtual reality element is currently exclusive to PlayStation VR hardware, the experience can be played with a traditional controller setup and the PC version will add support for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive headsets “before the end of the year via a free Steam update,” according to a recent Steam community announcement.

Thumper is priced at $20 and the full version unlocks across the PlayStation Network and Steam on Monday night.

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