Rock Band wireless PS3 guitar gets FCC'd, mystery dongle discovered

by Ross Miller { Sep 24th 2007 at 9:15PM }

FCC employees must have had a lot of fun testing out this one. Though the hipsters might call it Exhibit VFR822151, to the layman it's the Bluetooth-enabled wireless Rock Band guitar for the PlayStation 3. Shown on the site are some test reports, pictures of the guitar's innards (ew!) and snippets of the manual.

Somewhat perplexing is the picture of a USB dongle (pictured after the break). Because of the Bluetooth technology, the guitar shouldn't need an intermediary device to connect to the PlayStation 3; however, the user manual included with the FCC exhibit clearly show the dongle as part of the setup process. Perhaps it'll become clearer closer to Rock Band's holiday launch.

[Via Engadget]

Tags: bluetooth, ea, electronicarts, harmonix, rockband, sony

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Rob @ Sep 24th 2007 9:19PM

1st post ftw

ReverendGadgetBoy @ Sep 24th 2007 10:13PM

Asshat.

Bidoof Protection Military @ Sep 24th 2007 10:43PM

Douchebag.

JodyAnthony (VGDF) @ Sep 25th 2007 8:10AM

you = dumb

Lemmiwinks @ Sep 25th 2007 1:40PM

yeah, it doesn't work like that anymore.

Rob @ Sep 25th 2007 3:37PM

Fair enough. In my defence though, it was gone 2am here in the UK, and I was drunk.
Silly me, must remember to never leave comments when inebriated.

Moe @ Sep 24th 2007 9:22PM

It's so obvious that it's used for recharging the damn thing. DUH
People are over thinking this little issue.

colin @ Sep 24th 2007 9:52PM

ummm, no its not. there is only one usb connector on that thing ... how could it be a charger? you can't send wireless electricity.

Dr. Nooooooooo @ Sep 24th 2007 10:13PM

Actually, you can send wireless electricity, I'm surprised no one knows of this, the tech has been around for practically a hundred years (I am seriously not kidding).

severian00 @ Sep 24th 2007 10:22PM

Yes, please explain this "obvious" charging unit. There appears to be no way of connecting it to the guitar unless the pic is hiding something on the underside (which is unlikely if it's a FCC pic).

Lifted 0ne 4l9 (NDF - Fire!) @ Sep 24th 2007 10:32PM

yes thats it, it charges it wirelessly via Bluetooth lol it's so simple why didn't everyone think of that lol dumbass

captainawesome @ Sep 24th 2007 10:51PM

The dongle charges the guitar through lightning.

Slaziman @ Sep 25th 2007 12:08AM

I wonder how that'd work...

schoon @ Sep 25th 2007 10:13AM

First of all, the only reasonable way to "send electricity" wirelessly is using microwaves. Microwaves are harmful, and therefore this is not a charger. Secondly, even if this *was* a charger, the only power connector utilized by the USB IEEE standard is only 5V, and a very low current. Problem #2 with this being a charger.

upz @ Sep 25th 2007 10:52AM

"First of all, the only reasonable way to "send electricity" wirelessly is using microwaves. Microwaves are harmful..."

You're an idiot. It's called magnetic induction. My electric toothbrush uses it. Yours does too.

Aberu @ Sep 25th 2007 5:09PM

Dude, the PS3 controller is charged through USB, my bluetooth headset is charged through usb. Why is it so hard for an ignorant man like yourself to realize, that maybe, a guitar-controller could be charged in the same way...

Oh wait, it's because your ignorant.

el-doctor-g @ Sep 24th 2007 9:27PM

can u say, wireless 360 guitars.......

potato @ Sep 24th 2007 9:38PM

No. As a 360 owner I'd love some hot wireless guitar action, but until MS pulls their head out of their collective, sizable bottoms, looks like we'll be screwed again :(

severian00 @ Sep 24th 2007 10:46PM

I can say that EA is a bunch of money grubbing bunch of A holes since Activision doesn't seem to have a problem putting out a wireless guitar at no additional cost. EA simply doesn't want to take the hit on their game. Don't blame MS for that, blame EA.

Truepatriot @ Sep 24th 2007 11:05PM

u all realize that 360 has a wireless guitar right? but its not included in the 200$ bundle.

Castle @ Sep 24th 2007 11:58PM

If you look at the FCC filing that is linked to by Joystiq, the guitar uses AA batteries.

The USB acts as a base station (look at the "user manual" under the FCC page). This doesn't use Bluetooth, probably the same setup as the PC & Mac Guitar Hero 3. The 360 doesn't have standard USB ports so isn't compatible with this method.

Ian @ Sep 25th 2007 12:09AM

Actually, the 360 DOES have standard USB ports. Why else would the play and charge kits, the camera, and the steering wheel work in Windows when you plug them into a PC?

Grant @ Sep 24th 2007 9:28PM

i would think the most obvious answer would be: maybe the guitar isn't bluetooth!

nintendomaniac64 @ Sep 24th 2007 9:30PM

maybe they used the same technology in both the 360 and the PS3 Rock Band guitars.

funkonaut @ Sep 24th 2007 9:43PM

What's even more interesting is that there are more buttons on the lower part of the fretboard. High-pitched guitar solos, anyone??

[.sm0ke.] @ Sep 25th 2007 1:36AM

Welcome to like five months ago. They're for solos. We've known this for a while.

Carrie @ Sep 24th 2007 9:45PM

Mmmm. I love mystery dongles.

icemasterforte @ Sep 24th 2007 9:46PM

Um, how come there are A,B,X,Y, and LB labels inside of the guitar if it's for PS3 and not 360? You can see them if you look in the 'Internal Photos' section.

Bidoof Protection Military @ Sep 24th 2007 10:22PM

The PDF refers to it as PS3 Controller. I'd imagine to save on manufacturing costs, they use the same PCBs for both guitars.

Lewis @ Sep 24th 2007 9:48PM

Fender Strat sweetness! *Kisses his Fender Strat*

Real Gambler @ Sep 24th 2007 10:02PM

Would make sense to use their very own usb receiver... This way, any consoles with a usb connector could share the same wireless devices. No need to use specific wireless protocol. Also only one FCC approval instead of one for every console.

blooh (CDF - Ass Ring) @ Sep 24th 2007 10:10PM

that would save them manufacturing cost and allow people with a 360 guitar to play on a friend's ps3, or vice versa

you're actually talking sense! too bad they probably won't work like that

DustoMan @ Sep 24th 2007 10:03PM

Looks kinda like a receiver to me. Which means the guitar is NOT Bluetooth as everyone was speculating. Logitech did the same thing with the first version of their MediaBoard. It wasn't until the second iteration of that product that they made it Bluetooth.

Kouse @ Sep 24th 2007 10:11PM

Here's a theory:

Bluetooth only allows up to 7 devices.

Maybe Sony locks out 4 of them for their own controllers, and they require 4 for Rock Band (mic, guitar, bass, drums) so therefore they needed a separate bluetooth receiver.

Bidoof Protection Military @ Sep 24th 2007 10:18PM

Mics and drums for both verions are wired only.

Kouse @ Sep 24th 2007 10:13PM

Another thing would be...cross compatibility across all consoles. That would be sweet. Actually I think that's the main reason...good idea!

Jay @ Sep 24th 2007 10:14PM

PROTIP: PS3 controllers must be PLUGGED IN in order to sync.

J.Goodwin @ Sep 24th 2007 10:31PM

Jeez, thank you Jay.

Seriously. Every PS3 "wireless" controller has required use of that stubby POS USB cable to sync it and to recharge it. Everyone, apparently, has forgotten.

Probably because they never took it out of the box (or, never bought one, like me, so how is it that I know more than they do?)

captainawesome @ Sep 24th 2007 11:38PM

Older gen - Controller is always hooked up to the console
Last gen - Wireless controllers powered by batteries make wires unnecessary
New gen - Controllers cost more, and you have to play with a wire attached while charging or syncing

That seems like a step backwards to me.

blooh (CDF - Ass Ring) @ Sep 24th 2007 10:17PM

except the wii has its own custom ones

Clutch_beast @ Sep 24th 2007 10:21PM

It emits low-amplitude microwaves that interfere with your brain function to send you into a face-melting thrash-metal frenzy.

Also, I guess cross platform compatibility seems as worthy a theory as any.

LuckyEMS @ Sep 24th 2007 10:24PM

im gonna go with charger on this one i mean there not gonna expect you to run it on AAA's

tehpyro @ Sep 24th 2007 10:31PM

its clear that the unit has more buttons on it than a typical ps3 controller... maybe it has software embedded in the hardware so that the ps3 can understand the extra buttons needed to play the game

vic @ Sep 24th 2007 10:39PM

Maybe, finally, its a attachment for the guitar hero guitars thats going to work.
But why packaged it with a guitar???

phattie @ Sep 24th 2007 11:20PM

Either way, 360 users are stuck with wired controllers.. suck on that.

Bidoof Protection Military @ Sep 24th 2007 11:51PM

There ARE wireless controllers, fatass. They're just sold seperately, instead of coming in the bundle.

Blame EA. The GH3 bundles for both 360 and PS3 come with wireless controllers, AND they cost the same. Hmm...

Jim Halpert DM @ Sep 24th 2007 11:20PM

You know what, I think I'd rather have a wired guitar. I these photos helped me to realize just how pissed I would be if I was about beat a song of Free Bird's difficulty on expert,and my controller's batteries died. Ah well, real electic guitar's are wired anyway.