Just when you thought the era of playing rhythm games with instrument controllers had firmly been left in the past,Rock Banddevelopers Harmonix created Fortnite Festival. A part of theFortniteexperience built on the back ofGuitar Heroand Rock Band. That quicklyprompted PDP to create a guitar controllerfor the modern era dubbed the Riffmaster. It isn’t compatible with Fortnite Festival yet, but you can pre-order it now and use it to play Rock Band 4.
At first glance, the Riffmaster looks a lot like the guitar controllers of old. The controller has received a lot of quality-of-life upgrades compared to the guitars we used to use, though. Best of all, the analog stick at the top of its neck. A feature I can’t believe nobody thought of during the height of Guitar Hero and Rock Band’s popularity, and something that makes navigating the menus as you curate your next set list a heck of a lot easier.
Other features that make the Riffmaster a significant improvement on the original guitar controllers include a neck that folds away so it’s easier to transport, and buttons that span the width of its neck which means you will have the same experience with the guitar whether you’re playing it left or right-handed. You can also change the faceplate, whether you damage yours or you want to pick up a different design and make your Riffmaster look a little more unique.
PDP Riffmaster Wireless Guitar Controller
PDP’s Riffmaster has revived the guitar controller. Its wireless offering comes in PlayStation and Xbox versions and is compatible with Rock Band 4 with Fortnite Festival functionality coming in the future. Its features include a foldable neck, an analog stick, and a 30-foot low-latency cable for charging.
There are two versions of the Riffmaster available through the links in the boxes above, but make sure you buy the right one for your console. Just like a normal controller, the Riffmaster isn’t interchangeable. ThePlayStationoption will only work withPS4andPS5, and theXboxguitar is only compatible with theXbox OneandSeries X|S. Other than that, both have the same features, including a 36-hour battery life, 30-feet low-latency cable for charging, and a limited edition pickguard if you’re among the first to place a pre-order, although it seems likely those will have already sold out.
Rock Band 4
WHERE TO PLAY
The latest, and likely final, installment in the long-running Rock Band series. Compatible with all instrument peripherals including PDP’s Riffmaster.
Even though the arrival of Fortnite Festival is what has prompted the creation of the first guitar controller in more than a decade, it is not compatible with the new Fortnite mode at the time of its pre-orders going live. Just Rock Band 4 compatibility for now which you’re able to buy for less than $10 through the link above.Epic Games has promised instrument controller supportin the future though, at which point the Riffmaster and perhaps other unannounced instrument controllers will be compatible with Fortnite Festival.
