Rock Band 4 Costs $20 More on Xbox One Compared to PS4

Game Rant

By John Jacques

Published Aug 24, 2015

Harmonix announces that the standalone Rock Band 4 game will be priced differently for Xbox One and PS4, as one requires an additional bundled adapter.

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As the holiday season approaches, so does the long awaited musical-instrument revival. Rock Band 4 is slated for an October release across Microsoft and Sony devices (sorry, PC fans), and the game is looking to bring back the true party-game vibe and then some. As it turns out, however, not all things are created equal between Microsoft and Sony's consoles, and most notably among them is the price of Rock Band 4.

Harmonix has started accepted pre-orders for both PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game, with the PS4 stand-alone product priced at $59.99, and the Xbox One version tallying in at $79.99. The extra $20 for the Xbox One version pays for a 'Legacy Game Controller Adapter', which will allow gamers to use their previous-generation wireless Rock Band instruments on the new system. The PS4 version does not require the additional peripheral.

Harmonix decided to automatically bundle the legacy adapter because they assume most gamers have legacy Rock Band instruments, along with third party items. A Harmonix spokesperson was also able to confirm the legacy adapter will be sold separately, but couldn't confirm the price at this time. The dongle had actually been a previously confirmed requirement from Harmonix, but most thought it was available for purchase separately, and not bundled in with the base game itself.

Unfortunately, it gets a little worse for Xbox One fans: while the legacy adapter grants supports for wireless instruments, it seems wired Xbox 360 guitars and drums are still out of luck. The company confirmed they don't currently support wired instruments, meaning guitars and drums with wires will have to be shelved for the time being. However, microphones are standard wired USB peripherals, and will still read as an input device for Rock Band 4.

According to Harmonix, PS4 users will be able to use both wired and wireless USB instruments on the console without issue. This even includes compatibility with the PS2 version of the original Rock Band, which means owners of those guitars will have had the ability to use them over 3 console lifespans.

Of course, gamers who aren't interested in using last-gen instruments can skip the legacy adapter requirement and purchase some heftily-priced bundle packs. The full band bundle includes the game itself, a guitar, a microphone, and a drum set, but runs a steep price tag of $250. There's also a more affordable bundle that includes just the guitar and the game, which cashes out at $130.

The studio also announced ten new tracks for the game today, which can be seen below. They've already announced some previous tracks, so it's nice to see more quality music pouring in:

.38 Special - "Caught Up In You"
Arctic Monkeys - "Arabella"
The Both - "Milwaukee"
Cake - "Short Skirt/Long Jacket"
Little Big Town - "Little White Church"
Lucius - "Turn It Around"
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - "The Impression That I Get"
The Protomen - "Light Up The Night"
Soundgarden - "Superunknown"
Tijuana Sweetheart - "Pistol Whipped"

What do you think about Microsoft's Rock Band 4 compatibility issues, Ranters? Is this a big issue for you, or will the extra $20 fail to make a difference in the long run?

Rock Band 4 is scheduled for an October 6th, 2015 release for Xbox One and PS4.