Logitech debuts wireless Guitar Hero controller for Xbox 360

Third-party wireless guitar controllers for the Xbox 360 have been disappointingly hard to come by to date, but Logitech has now come to the rescue with a new Guitar Hero-licensed controller that's similar to its PS3 and PS2 offerings, with the exception of being orange, and Xbox 360-compatible. Otherwise, you can expect the same wood neck, rosewood fingerboard, and metal frets as before, along with a touch-sensitive slider on the neck, strum bar and fret buttons that are "virtually silent," and a promised range of 30 feet. Unfortunately, the guitar also packs the same hefty $199 price tag as its PS3 counterpart, but if that's not too big a deterrent, you can look forward to picking up one of these up in August. Head on past the break for a quick video overview.

[Felipe @ Jun 18th 2009 12:01PM]

If I had the money to blow on a fake guitar, I would definitely get this. And the addition of quiet fret buttons and strum bar is a must. No more "clack, clack, clack" sounds would be great.

[Barbaric @ Jun 18th 2009 12:47PM]

Ya know, for $200 you could buy a REAL guitar. Not the top of the line, but decent enough to play. Flight simulator and racing games make sense to me, but playing fake guitar, for about the same money as a real one?
I will never understand this.

[Ghen @ Jun 18th 2009 2:05PM]

Because I can play fake guitar really well. I can't play real guitar at all and learning it isn't as fun.

[Barbaric @ Jun 18th 2009 3:48PM]

How am I a troll for continuing a discussion of fake guitars? I didn't start it. And I also didn't say there's anything wrong with it, just that I prefer the real thing...its a more satisfying return on my investment.

I was actually looking for an intelligent response, from somebody who is into the guitar hero or rock band thing, like Ghen began. He can play the game well, and its not as fun as the real thing.

It just seems that you have to spend time working on hand/eye and timing and such to do it. Some people are really into music- and may be interested in learning how to play . And for $200 they could get a real guitar.

I'm not bashing your precious video game, idiot. And I don't think I'll be fucking off today, thanks. You may want to work on your conversation skills a bit though... just because people put comments or ask about posts they are interested in doesn't make them a troll.

[Seabee @ Jun 18th 2009 5:13PM]

How about this...

This is a game controller and a real guitar is, well... a real guitar. Two completely different things with two completely different purposes -- they just look similar. Does that make sense.

Your logic would also result in the following...

Why spend $500 on a PS3 and $60 on some FPS game to kill a bunch of zombies with a machete when you could just go down to your local hardware store and spend no more than $50 to buy a REAL machete and kill the zombies in your own neighbourhood.

But that's silly isn't it? We all know you can buy a machete in a hardware store -- you'd need to go to a hunting store for that!

[Ravnos @ Jun 18th 2009 5:08PM]

@Barbaric: Perhaps you should consider fucking off, because you certainly didn't start with an intelligent post, so I don't know why you would expect one in return. People play fake guitar for the same reason they play fake sports or fake racing games, and while I wouldn't spend the money on this thing, it's no different than people who drop money on a Logitech steering wheel for Gran Turismo. Everyone knows where to find a guitar if they want one. There are dozens of music stores in pretty much every major city, and every pawn shop has a bunch of used guitars and amps. If GH/RB players want to play guitar, they'll buy a guitar. In fact, many have. The fact that you put this sort of thing down because "people should just spend that $200 on a real guitar" but don't dump on any of the other activities that are imitated in video games makes you a prick, so yes, fuck off. You don't want people to react badly to your posts, maybe you should consider writing posts that don't boil down to "I wouldn't do this, so anyone who would is stupid."

[Felipe @ Jun 18th 2009 5:12PM]

Jesus, I didn't know my simple post would spawn this evil.

[GDog05 @ Jun 18th 2009 5:13PM]

The GH/RB guitars are early yet, but they're getting a lot more sophisticated. It won't be long before people are creating music of their own a "fake" guitar. Then, once they start creating, it will just be a digital guitar before long, that video games helped the progression of. I hear all the time the "why would someone waste so much time when they could do it on a real guitar". If you have friends over, how many people want to sit and listen to you fumble your chords as to you try to learn a piece on a real guitar? But if they can join in with singing or drumming, they don't care if you get 72% on a song. It's a social element, a game element, and a new element. It will become "real" soon enough.

[Dustin @ Jun 18th 2009 8:32PM]

I just wanted to add: It's not like the people who are paying the money for this didn't realize that there's such thing as a "real guitar"

[Barbaric @ Jun 19th 2009 12:02PM]

Wow.. the evil is only coming from one source, and to be clear, I never sad, implied, or boiled down to "I wouldn't do this, so anyone who would is stupid."

Ravnos seems to be so enraged with his preconceived notion that I'm "dumping" on his game, that my point went right over his head.
I like guitar hero...it introduces a variety of different music to a broader audience. I have played it, and I play real guitar.

@Seabee, the corollary you draw to my logic isn't quite what I was getting at. the game and the real thing are two different things...but the controller costs the same as the real thing. What I don't get is that people seem ok with letting the manufacturers get away with it. That they actually spend that much. I know that people will buy the Tony Hawk balance board, when a real board costs way less than a hundred bucks, and those people may not have any desire to skate for real.

If you could fly a flight simulator go on a real for the

[Nick @ Jun 18th 2009 12:05PM]

Why orange? They're far less likely to get someone to spend almost $200 on a controller that's such a polarizing color (you either love it or hate it).

[Sisyphus @ Jun 18th 2009 12:34PM]

Now here's a little story, I've got to tell
About two bad brothers, you know so well
It started way back in history
With Jimmy Fallon Late Night, and me, Josh-T.
Been had a little phoney named the Palm Pre
Just me and my phoney up on N-B-C
Ridin cross the screen, flickin' up apps
Apple's posse on my tail and they whistlin' TAPS,
One lonely Josh-T I be,
All up in the studio with nobody
The spots are beatin' down on an anxious crowd,
My face is gettin' hot, The Roots are gettin' loud,
Lookin' for the exit, I ran into a guy
His name is Jimmy Fallon, I said "Howdy," he said "Hi."

He told a few jokes, that sounded well rehearsed,
"The Recession's in full swing, Madoff got diamonds on his hearse!"
The Pre was in my hand, and he was on my tip
His voice was gettin girly, and then he made a quip,
He said, "Can I get one?"
I said, "You can't get none!"
Had a chance for jokes
Instead said "hold on folks"
Quick on the draw, I was dead, but then
He put the mic to my face and said "lick it for ten."

"Now my name is Jimmy Fallon, I've got a license to thrill
I think you know what time it is, it's time to fulfill
The audience is waitin, for you to stick it out,
Your tongue all on this lawnmower, no doubt."
I licked it for ten, he had the bill, I had a grin,
You think this story's over but its ready to begin.

Now, "I got the ten, you got the Pre,"
Lets go back to my desk, come with me
Jimmy said "ok -- lets see what you got"
I pulled the Pre out and the Pre was hot,
Josh T was scared, with Apple on his tail,
Dudes on Engadget ready to exclaim "FAIL,"
All of a sudden, out comes a contender
Holdin' on some fruit, (not just a fake render),
Rollin' up on the stage in his black turtleneck,
3G in his hands, and his homies in-check,
"The King Steve Jobs, that is my name
And I got the fly tech, I'm here to proclaim."
We beefed for six minutes then we touched the spot,
The dialer's were dialin' and the batteries shot,
This dude was starin' like he knows what we got,
Nametag said "Meizu" and his class he forgot,
Steve Jobs said "Yippe-Yi-Yo, you know this kid?"
I said, "I didn't," but I know he did,
Then I said, "Get ready, your data I'm hoggin'
My name's Josh T and I'm the king of live bloggin'."
Pulled out the Pre, aimed it at the sky
He yelled "Let 'em loose," and let tweets fly,
Hands went down, and people started to text,
Josh T stood up with his Pre and flexed,
"I'm Josh T and I get respect,
Your continued readership is what I expect"
Jimmy Fallon was with it and he's my ace
So I grabbed the 3G and made it out of the place.

[ash chapman @ Jun 18th 2009 12:37PM]

+1 for time spent

[j_g_puff @ Jun 18th 2009 12:37PM]

If you're going to spam my eyes with your ugly wad of crap, at least make it relevant to the article. And just so you know, I'm not going to bother reading the rest of it.

[Agent .25i @ Jun 18th 2009 2:02PM]

I wonder if you are douche enough to post this in all other articles today.
- life. For having your head up Engadgets ass.

[TMPRIDE @ Jun 18th 2009 12:39PM]

You know, I recently bought a Squier Stratocaster that looks exactly like that controller for $240.

Alas, I know this is a video gaming peripheral, but when the price of an imitation approaches (or exceeds plenty of other guitars) the price of the original, there is something wrong.

Guitar Hero is great and I had plenty of fun with it. Playing a real guitar is completely different and equally, if not more, satisfying. I just think peripheral companies are going too far with their fake guitars.

[Ravnos @ Jun 18th 2009 2:10PM]

I justified my ION drum kit purchase by telling myself that I could use it as a real drum kit too, for a bit of extra money, and living in an apartment, a drum kit I can use without pissing off the neighbours is not a bad investment. This, though, is pretty expensive for just playing a couple of video games with.

[Jeff @ Jun 18th 2009 5:44PM]

I have a Squier Strat that I paid $170 for new. And it has more wood, more electronics, and looks a whole lot better than this too - better rosewood, better finish, etc.).

This is not a question of whether you should play a real guitar or a fake guitar, this is a question of whether a $200 game controller is really worth $200 when real guitars (admittedly cheap ones, but better quality than this) actually cost *less*.

btw, to the guy who paid $1,400 for an American Strat - that's a ripoff too. Fender is gouging people these days.

[Galley @ Jun 18th 2009 11:38PM]

I beg to differ: the body looks more like a Fender Precision Bass, but with a really ugly headstock.

[ash chapman @ Jun 18th 2009 12:38PM]

The way some people feel about iPhone related news I feel about Guitar Hero / Rock Band news.

[Verythrax @ Jun 18th 2009 12:38PM]

- pro: came exactly in time: I'm about to buy a GH/RB instrument kit

- con: this stuff is more expensive than the whole box of the vanilla instruments

:(

[FoxHoundADAM @ Jun 18th 2009 2:48PM]

Shame you waited till this week. Last week you could have got the GH:WT bundle for $90!

[Verythrax @ Jun 18th 2009 3:09PM]

Where?

I would really love to find a better deal than $129 @ Amazon.

I'm planning to get the GH:WT box + a RB2 guitar.

[James @ Jun 18th 2009 12:44PM]

i like it

[anodynewake @ Jun 18th 2009 1:12PM]

Basic XBOX 360? $200
Deluxe Guitar Hero axe? $200

Being humped blindly by peripheral manufacturers, all the while sealing your virginity for eternity? Priceless.

[ash chapman @ Jun 18th 2009 1:41PM]

Nicely done.

[Dustin @ Jun 18th 2009 8:33PM]

win.

[Randall Lind @ Jun 18th 2009 1:42PM]

I would like a Eric Clapton or B.B, King guitar but, $200 for a toy is nuts. I wouls say $100 tops and even then that would be high.

[Storm Eagle @ Jun 18th 2009 2:10PM]

So it doesn't support the older headsets and he made no mention of being able to tilt the guitar for star power......

[Toby @ Jun 18th 2009 5:11PM]

I'm holding out for a Mosrite style controller.

[wayne @ Jun 18th 2009 5:56PM]

will we get such indepth reviews of every other laptop being released by all other companies too?

[wayne @ Jun 18th 2009 5:57PM]

woops - wrong place for reply..i'm sure you can guess its for the ibook review.

[juangrande386 @ Jun 18th 2009 8:14PM]

$200 for a controller, give me a fuckin break. the gh3 Les Paul is still probably the best for GH and RB and arent they like $50 apiece (you know around what a controller should cost)

[craig @ Jun 18th 2009 10:46PM]

is it rock band compatitable?

[synn @ Jun 19th 2009 12:00AM]

Aww... so cute. The bridge almost looks like a Floyd Rose affair.

[JohnTech @ Jun 19th 2009 12:28AM]

Being someone who plays both guitar and GH/RB games I like this, just not the price tag.