For the first time in years, rhythm gaming is getting a new, fully endorsed guitar controller. Upstart peripheral creator CRKD has unveiled its gorgeous new Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller range, which aims to deliver the most modern technological experience to Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Clone Hero, and more — and keep the genre alive.
While PDP’s 2024 RiffMaster ax is a solid offering for the dedicated rhythm action market — hardly surprising, given its form with the superb Victrix Pro BFG and Gambit pads — this newcomer has a specific edge. The CRKD team has worked with former developers from RedOctane, the company responsible for designing the original Guitar Hero controllers, to create something that will meet the needs of both longtime players and newcomers, offering customizable features and improved precision.
Did I mention CRKD’s controllers are absolutely stunning? The Pro Edition is the the type of thing you might consider buying just to stare at.
CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller specs
The new guitar peripheral comes in two versions:
- The Pro Edition in a sumptuous “Blueberry Burst” finish, which includes an Advanced Fret System for greater responsiveness and a Hall-effect strum bar with haptic feedback; and
- The Encore Edition in black, which features a standard fret and strum buttons.
Additional core features on both guitars include multiple connectivity options — wired, 2.4GHz wireless, and Bluetooth — and an eight-button navigation hub, an analog stick for menu navigation, and a Hall-effect whammy bar for enhanced durability. The controllers also offer customizable RGB lighting and CRKD Tilt, which allows players to activate Star Power by flicking their guitar; a common complaint about the RiffMaster was its poor sensitivity in this department, so CRKD is clearly learning from its rivals.
What’s more, both models have a modular design, meaning players can swap out components for a personalized experience — and potentially offset any potential broken parts in the future. It’s music to the ears of someone like me, who went through about eight Rock Band drum kits in the space of four years (five pedal snaps, three red drum failures).
Choose your platform
Players can choose between a multi-platform version or a slightly pricier Xbox-specific model, which presumably costs more because it’s officially licensed with Microsoft. However, it could require more components and testing to make it work to the manufacturer’s standards.
However, the latter option isn’t just “Xbox and done”. While the multi-platform controllers work with PC, Nintendo Switch, Android, and some Guitar Hero and Rock Band games on PlayStation, the Xbox version can be used with Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One as well as PC and Android devices. On top of that, both versions of the guitar are compatible with Xbox Cloud Gaming and Amazon Luna.
You can pre-order the CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controllers now at the company’s website, and they’re expected to ship in June. The Encore Edition comes in at $109.99 for the multi-platform model and $119.99 for the Xbox version; the Pro Edition costs $119.99 and $129.99 respectively.
If form is to be trusted, chances are that CRKD’s newest controllers will be a slam dunk. Its Nitro Deck, NEO S, and even those delightfully tiny Atom controllers have all proved to be great investments. We might even get a couple of dependably great designs from POPeART along the way.
Even though I’ve rallied for CRKD’s next project to be an alternative to the Switch Pro Controller, this is a welcome next step — sure, licensing prevents me from playing all those songs I downloaded and extracted from previous Rock Band games, but maybe renewed interest through this tech might help encourage developers to create a new game or two. Or, you know, we just continue to “experiment” with a customized Clone Hero experience.