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PDP's latest product, the Riffmaster Wireless Guitar Controller, is set to hit the store shelves next month at a price tag of $130, reviving a market of plastic musical instruments that allow fans to live out their fantasies as rockstars.
"At last, the wait is over… it's time for gamers to rock on!" said PDP Senior Director of Product Marketing Michael Lai in a press release. "Rhythm-action gaming is experiencing more than a renaissance – it is being redefined! Every aspect of the RIFFMASTER design is informed by PDP's rich heritage in rhythm-based gaming, including a nod to the past with backwards compatibility. We cannot wait for fans to have their first jam session!"
After teasing the product in December, PDP officially announced the controller in late January. The Riffmaster has two configurations: one compatible with the Xbox and PC, while the other works on PlayStation, regardless of which platform you buy the controller for. The two games it is designed for are Rock Band 4 and Fortnite Festival. The controller should look familiar to those who played Rock Band and/or Guitar Hero during the late 2000s/mid-2010s.
Yet what makes this a contemporary guitar controller is the thumbstick behind the guitar; besides the 3.5mm audio jack, the latter is ideal for those looking to get some late-night sessions of Rock Band 4 and don't want to wake anyone else up in their house.
PDP previously noted that the device promises 36 hours of battery life on a single charge, an ambidextrous design, and a foldable design that makes it much easier to store or pack for travel purposes. While rhythm games with plastic musical instruments have been obsolete for several years, the Riffmaster comes with minimal competition despite the slim games at launch.
While we have nothing firm other than an April 2024 release, hopefully, Harmonix will finally add support for Rock Band guitar controllers in the Fortnite Festival. One of the biggest criticisms of Fortnite Festival at release has been the controls, as a gamepad to hit musical notes feels weird when plastic controllers have been around for years.
The announcement comes weeks after the gaming peripheral company Turtle Beach announced it was acquiring PDP for $118 million. While Turtle Beach had established a name for itself, most notably for its headsets, the acquisition of PDP has established itself as making quirky yet efficient licensed third-party controllers. The company has recently begun making more distinct gamepads that could entice some to buy over the first-party option. A noteworthy example includes the Realmz controller series, which provides neat transparent gamepads and visually stunning dioramas of noteworthy gaming IPs such as Pikmin and Sonic the Hedgehog.
PDP Riffmaster is available now to preorder; you can check out the listings below.
For more on the PDP Riffmaster, check out our exclusive hands-on preview.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
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