Incoming: official wireless Guitar Hero controllers
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Oct 27th 2006 at 7:30PM }
A technical marvel and a symbolic gesture of freedom shoved into the grimacing face of the everpresent Man, the wireless controller is practically indispensable in this day and age. As a company that's adequately adjusted to modern times, RedOctane has announced that official and, more importantly, wireless Guitar Hero controllers will be hitting store shelves next month. Eurogamer confirms that the gheetarz will be priced at $59.99 and be fully compatible with both heroic strum sims on the PS2. You can also expect RedOctane to not be sued for making these.Whether this announcement affects the currently tethered (or more "realistic," as the back of the box will point out) Xbox 360 version of the controller remains to be seen, though one can hope that RedOctane's designers are gnawing through prototype cables at this very moment. Incidentally, that suggestion leads to the visual image of their employees being gigantic rats wearing lab coats and wielding plastic guitars in an altogether frightening manner. We're not sure how we feel about that yet.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
DeeMan @ Oct 28th 2006 1:37AM
I'm torn between the 'realism' of a wired guitar, and the coolness of wireless. Anyone with a wireless model at the moment care to enlighten me?
Chris Robinson @ Oct 27th 2006 7:46PM
While it's nice that such a thing is available, I think I prefer the "realistic" wired guitar with an extra controller extender. That gets rid of most wire issues for me.
CYRiX @ Oct 27th 2006 7:48PM
what makes the wired one more realistic? the fact that theres a wire?
penas @ Oct 29th 2006 12:53AM
i have a wireless cord for my gibson(it's very expensive, about $200)
HoodOrnament @ Oct 27th 2006 8:03PM
yeah, the game is not realistic whatsoever, its not a simulation, it is entertainment. Therefore, give me wireless baby, lay them wires not on my floor.
Eric Von Shpeel @ Oct 27th 2006 8:07PM
Chris Robinson if you want "realistic" play a real guitar
PsionStorm @ Oct 27th 2006 8:07PM
I'm a guitarist, and while I love the game Guitar Hero, it's not even close to the real thing. In fact, alot of musicians I know that have tried it (including myself) have had a harder time playing the guitar controller than a real guitar. We'll try to strum properly in time with the notes and rythym and such, and that's not always what the game is doing. Kinda funny actually.
But considering all of that "realism" Guitar Hero offers, I'd rather have the wireless guitar controller to match my wireless 360 pads.
Matt Dusza @ Oct 27th 2006 8:14PM
a wireless one would be cool but at 60 bones, the wired one i have will just be fine. I needed a little extra leangth so u know what i did? i went to toys r us and bought a PS2 extention cable for 2 bucks
MSH-Hitman @ Oct 27th 2006 8:16PM
Absolutely nothing wrong with wireless. Real guitars can be wireless so I don't see why a fake guitar controller can't be also. Plus it makes taking the guitar to places alittle easier without having to wrap the cord around the guitar.
Chris Robinson @ Oct 27th 2006 8:18PM
Eric, been there, tried that, failed miserably. A man's got to know his limitations.
When I say "realistic" I only say so in context to the original post, thus the quotation marks. My main point is that the benefit of wireless GH for me is negated by longer wires. There's not much that wireless GH can offer me.
Xiath @ Oct 27th 2006 8:25PM
"When I say "realistic" I only say so in context to the original post, thus the quotation marks. My main point is that the benefit of wireless GH for me is negated by longer wires. There's not much that wireless GH can offer me."
It can offer lag when the batteries start to die...
TibrisXVII @ Oct 27th 2006 8:25PM
60 bucks? Ouch, that's a little much for a controler that's only good for a couple games. I think I'll stay wired.
Steve @ Oct 27th 2006 9:54PM
I've got the TAC Freedom V and it's great... for GH one. At least I got it early enough to use it before I found out I can't use it for GH II.
sintax @ Oct 27th 2006 9:09PM
If only there was a way to get the guitars to work with the PS3. Red Octane should come out with some kind of PS2 -> USB adapter that would plug into the PS3 so we early adopters could rock out without dragging the ol' PS2 out of the closet.
Of course, I'd prefer to have the 360 version for the XBL integration alone. The possibility of rocking out with friends online and downloading new songs is just way to cool.
Matt @ Oct 27th 2006 10:23PM
They have wireless moduels for real guitars so its not like its fake or anything.
Im all for this because ive had the controller pop out too many times...
Brandon @ Oct 27th 2006 11:48PM
The cable is ridiculously short for all the Guitar SG and all PS2 controllers really. Forget wireless at that price, just give me three more feet of wire.
Tarv @ Oct 28th 2006 11:58AM
That's just awesome, since the official SG guitar that I modified to be wireless DOES NOT WORK on Guitar Hero 2. I tried two demo's already (PSM demo, and retailer 10 track demo), and both did not accept my wireless controller as a guitar controller. BS.
Starsmore @ Oct 28th 2006 5:07PM
The half-assed 'Mod a cheap wireless controller into the SG Controller body' method will not work. They've changed out how it registers the presence of an SG Controller.. However, if you go the better method of splicing a RF unit into the PS2 controller cable and mounting it to the guitar (or even inside the guitar), that will work.