Cameron Faulkner
(he/him) is Polygon’s business editor. He started blogging about technology and pc gaming in 2013, and moved from The Verge in 2023.
If you wish to play Rock Band 4 on gaming consoles, it hasn’t been simple or economical to grab a brand-new guitar controller. It’s typical to locate pre-owned (ew) guitar controllers costing $500 or two. That’s altering, luckily, with the launch of PDP’s Riffmaster. It’s a $129.99 cordless guitar controller that’s involving racks in April for both PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles (either guitar works with computer, too, and ships with a USB-A cordless transceiver). Its layout suits right- and left-handed gamers.
PDP Riffmaster guitar controller
- $130
Prices taken sometimes of posting.
The Riffmaster sustains Rock Band 4 out of package. However, this guitar’s major factor for presence is its organized compatibility with Fortnite Festival, a free-to-play game setting that basically instills the Rock Band experience right into Fortnite on gaming consoles and computer. Currently, players can play the setting with a controller or key-board — not a perfect configuration in either situation. The specific launch day of the Riffmaster hasn’t been shared, however I presume it’ll show up whenever the tool combination prepares to enter Fortnite Festival.
Digging right into what makes the Riffmaster guitar various from previous controllers, to begin, it’s rechargeable by means of USB-C. PDP asserts it can last approximately 36 hours per fee, and the guitar has a 2-year guarantee that covers production flaws. It includes a 3.5mm earphone jack, so you can pay attention to game audio transmitted via the guitar on a collection of earphones. Lastly, however maybe most notably, the Riffmaster includes an analog stick where you normally relax a thumb as you continue guitar worries. It makes food selection navigating on gaming consoles a lot easier than grabbing the D-pad. As much as any type of various other capability, PDP decreased to share a lot more.
The PDP Riffmaster’s pickguard can be raised for practical storage space of its USB cordless dongle. And, as you might have anticipated, there will certainly be added pickguards offered in situation you wish to personalize your guitar. In reality, PDP is using the pickguard revealed over as a free offer to the very first 500 individuals that pre-order the Riffmaster via its website. Otherwise, the guitar ships with a shiny black pickguard that looks completely great.
I value the functions that have actually been contributed to update the Riffmaster contrasted to previous guitar controllers. Its enhancements offset what bit it does not have. However, I want that it had the sound and video clip sensing units existing on past Rock Band 4 guitars, which helped in the calibration procedure by allowing the guitar user interface straight with your sound and video clip tools. Without those sensing units existing in the Riffmaster, I’ve disappointingly invested even more time in the calibration food selection in Rock Band 4 than I have really playing tunes.
Source: Polygon
