I couldn't be more excited for PDP's new Guitar Hero-like PS5 controller
Feb. 1, 2024I can’t believe I might start playing Fortnite
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It’s been a big week for controller brand PDP. Not only did its Victrix Pro BFG Xbox Series X gamepad get a February release window, but the brand has also just revealed that it’ll be making the very first guitar controller for PS5 and Xbox Series X.
Rock Band and Guitar Hero had some truly great peripherals, but PDP seems to have found ways to improve on them. For starters, it has a wireless connection and a battery life that lasts 36 hours - even most of thebest PC controllerscould never.
It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack, a joystick on the guitar’s neck to help you navigate in-game menus and console UI, and folds down at the base of the neck so you can take it on the go or store it away neatly.
If you’re anything like me, you probably have a couple of Guitar Hero controllers sitting around that are nice to look at but are functionally useless because their USB dongles have gone missing. The new PDP RIFFMASTER has a slot under its removable faceplate to hold and protect your USB dongle.
Annoyingly, the price and release date are to be determined, although we know it should hit the shelves at some point in the Spring. The fact it’s officially licensed for both PS5 and as anXbox Series X controlleris no short of a miracle but isn’t all that surprising when PDP managed the same feat for theVictrix Pro BFG, our top pick for PS5 which is available forpre-order on Xbox now.
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Honestly, I couldn’t be more excited about this. In the last few days before this news broke, I was thinking of writing a retrospective feature all about why Guitar Hero Guitars are some of my favorite gaming controllers of all time. While that type of rhythm game has seemed dead in the water for years, Fortnite Festival and a new licensed controller may say otherwise.
Will we see a revival of rock-based rhythm games? Could we get modern-day remasters of classics like Guitar Hero 3? Famously, this was a difficult genre forActivisionto maintain, not least because paying for music licensing probably cost an arm and a leg.
Fortnite Festival does seem promising, especially seeing asEpic Gamesacquired the old developer of the Rockband games, Harmonic. WithMicrosoftfinally completing its purchase ofActivision Blizzard, however, might this be an exciting new dawn for both franchises?
Looking for more situational controllers to use in simulation games? Grab thebest joysticks, thebest racing wheels for PC, and thebest Xbox steering wheels.
One of my earliest memories is playing SuperMario64 and wondering why the controller I held had three grips, but I only had two hands. Ever since I’ve been in love with video games and their technology. After graduating from Edinburgh Napier University with a degree in Journalism, I contributed to the Scottish Games Network and completed an Editorial Internship at Expert Reviews. Over the last decade, I’ve been managing my ownYouTube channelabout my love of games too. These days, I’m one of the resident hardware nerds at GamesRadar+, and I take the lead on our coverage of gaming PCs, VR, controllers, gaming chairs, and content creation gear. Now, I better stop myself here before I get talking about my favourite games like HUNT: Showdown, Dishonored, and Towerfall Ascension.Location: UK Remote
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