HardwareGaming ControllersPreview: The new Riffmaster Guitar controller is great, but lacks a classic Guitar Hero feelWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
HardwareGaming ControllersPreview: The new Riffmaster Guitar controller is great, but lacks a classic Guitar Hero feelWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)
The Riffmaster Guitar Controller, launching in April, is the first guitar controller I’ve seen released in ages. In fairness, there hasn’t been much need for them, because since Guitar Hero Live’s interesting spin on the formula back in 2015, rhythm games that use them have been few and far between. Now, with Fortnite Festival bringing renewed interest to the genre, the Riffmaster seems poised to serve as the go-to controller for it.
The controllers for Guitar Hero and Rock Band arguably helped to spark my love of thebest PC controllers, because the combination of their design, features, aesthetics, and feel always provided this synaesthesia even modern controllers to this day still fail to capture so easily.
(Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)
At $129.99 / £129.99 though, this isn’t as universally approachable as I’d like it to be. I’ve now spent a decent amount of time testing the Riffmaster, and while it does evoke the same joy and immersion that these Guitar controllers always have, I’m not sure it warrants that price tag - especially at the moment.
At the time of writing, Fortnite Festival still doesn’t even support guitar controllers, so it leaves the Riffmaster feeling a bit pre-emptive. To skirt around that, PDP has built the Riffmaster around Rock Band 4, a game that was released in 2015. While it will work with other games like Clone Hero on PC, I feel it should be made clear that if you opt for a pre-order now to amplify your Fortnite gameplay, you’re going to wind up disappointed if support isn’t added before April. Even if that is more of anEpic Gamesproblem than a PDP issue, it’s worth noting before you hit the buy now button.
That new sound you’re looking for…
(Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)
If you’ve played around with Guitar Hero or Rock Band Games previously, you’ll know what to expect from the PDP Riffmaster. This is a fully licensed controller for PS5 and Xbox Series X which will work on PC, and it has the typical colored buttons along the fretboard, a whammy bar, a strumming switch, and some solo pads you may remember from later models. While all the classic design elements are here, the Riffmaster definitely packs in some really helpful improvements.
For starters, the neck folds down into the back of the guitar, making it easy to pack away and store, or shove in a backpack and take to a friend’s place. It connects wirelessly with a USB dongle like many of thebest PS5 controllers, but the dongle slots away underneath the controller’s detachable pickguard so you don’t lose it. Furthermore, at the end of the guitar’s neck, you’ll find a handy little analog stick to help navigate menus and console UI - a swell little quality-of-life update from using the strumming toggle which has never had a side-to-side function.
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Perhaps the biggest quality-of-life innovation PDP has made with this guitar controller is the 3.5mm headphone jack on its bottom. Chatting with friends while jamming? No need to abandon the party. Rocking out but don’t want to wake the lucky sods you live with? One of thebest gaming headsetswill slot right into the controller.
(Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)
Unfortunately, the guitar’s body has a glossy finish, including the pickguard, which means any sweat, fingerprint smudges, or tears from trying to play a Dragonforce track will undeniably mark the guitar. This combined with the hollow plastic used in the Riffmaster’s body makes me really question why PDP is charging so much for this device - because it certainly doesn’t feel premium enough for a $100+ price tag.
Nothing exemplifies that more than the detachable pickguard, which never fails to sound like it’s snapping off when you remove it. The neck of the guitar feels quite premium, but the body seems like the cheapest of plastic knock-off toys. Even older Guitar controllers feel more substantial, which is disappointing.
There are great innovations and quality-of-life upgrades PDP has made here, but I wish they had used better materials for the price.
Go Johnny, go!
(Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)
The good news is The PDP Riffmaster Guitar Controller plays beautifully. It felt authentic to a traditional Rock Band or Guitar Hero controller in that it took me right back to my early teenage years when I’d spend hours with friends trying desperately to 100% our favorite tracks.
I think the buttons on the Riffmaster’s neck have the perfect size and actuation to make rocking out with it a lot of fun. The fret buttons push in from all angles, making it nice and easy to press them in if you’re dealing with a more difficult track or you’re a real guitarist and have a lighter touch. The whammy bar is as badass to use as ever, and I personally felt like this had been measured to perfection so that it was easy to grab without losing your entire hand position. A lot of older Guitar Hero controllers had whammy bars that were too short, adding yet more stress to the middle of Hotel California’s multiple solos.
I also loved the fret buttons higher up on the neck, because just like the higher frets on a real guitar, these are much smaller than the regular buttons, so they take some serious getting used to if you want to be as accurate as usual.
If I could change anything, it’d be the strumming bar, though. It works just fine, but it lacks the clicky feedback of some of my favorite guitar controllers. That tiny missing quality just makes the experience of strumming a bit less tactile, and slightly hamstrings the game feel a bit.
I guess you weren’t quite ready for that yet, but your kids are gonna love it.
(Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)
One thing I would note is that while all of PDP’s press materials claim the guitar has “anticipated support for Fortnite Festival”, the packaging my Riffmaster came in states on its front that it’s “compatible with Fortnite Festival and Rock Band 4.” Maybe PDP is privy to information we aren’t about when this support it coming. Maybe it’s holding off on an official release date until this support is added. Either way, that raised some flags for me.
Luckily, PDP has updated me since I first published this preview to say that its packaging is subject to change depending on the final release date, which is a good thing. I wouldn’t think PDP was the sort of company to advertise that on the front of its packaging if support is still “anticipated” at launch. That could have caused a lot of young Fortnite players to be misled, and unaware parents buying before they should.
At $129.99 / £129.99 though, this is a tough one to recommend to everyone. While the Riffmaster does harken back to guitar controllers of old and provides a faithful, fun experience, it’s tough to see why it costs this much. Most of all, I’d look out for news of Fortnite supporting it before hitting the “buy now” button.
On the hunt for more controllers? Check out thebest Xbox Series X controllers, thebest joysticks, and thebest racing wheels for PC.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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3
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”