Are you ready to rock your living room with a plastic guitar on your PS4? If you’re diving into the world of rhythm games on PlayStation 4, specifically seeking the ultimate “Ps4 Rock Band Guitar” experience, you’ve likely landed in the right place. For years, Guitar Hero and Rock Band have dominated the genre, and their 2015 resurgence with Guitar Hero Live and Rock Band 4 brought exciting, yet different, experiences to gamers.
Choosing between these two titans can be tricky, especially when you’re figuring out the best guitar controller for your PS4 Rock Band or Guitar Hero journey. Having spent considerable time with both games and their plastic axes, this guide will provide an unbiased comparison to help you decide which game and guitar setup will best fuel your rockstar dreams on PS4. Let’s plug in and crank up the volume!
Backwards Compatibility: Can Your Old Guitars Join the Band?
For many long-time rhythm game enthusiasts, a crucial factor is whether their old plastic instruments, gathering dust from previous console generations, can be resurrected. The ability to use existing gear saves money and reduces plastic waste, which is always a win.
Sleep well, sweet prince of plastic video game instruments
Rock Band 4 on PS4 made a significant effort to embrace backwards compatibility. Harmonix, the developers, designed the game to work with a wide range of older Rock Band and Guitar Hero wireless peripherals. Good news for PS3 Rock Band and Guitar Hero players: your wireless guitars should largely work with the PS4 version of Rock Band 4.
However, it’s not entirely seamless. Wired controllers generally don’t work due to console security protocols. So, if you were hoping to dust off your wired Guitar Hero controllers, you might be out of luck. The focus is primarily on wireless instruments from the previous generation.
Guitar Hero Live on PS4 takes a completely different approach. It introduces a brand-new guitar controller with a 2×3 button layout, abandoning the classic five-button system. This fundamental change means that none of your old Guitar Hero or Rock Band controllers are compatible with Guitar Hero Live. You’ll need to invest in the new guitar specifically designed for this game if you choose this route.
Winner: Rock Band 4 (for backwards compatibility)
If using your existing PS3 guitars is important, Rock Band 4 on PS4 is the clear winner. Guitar Hero Live‘s innovative guitar comes at the cost of leaving your old instruments behind.
Guitar Gameplay: Classic Chords vs. New Innovations on PS4
The heart of any guitar rhythm game is, naturally, the guitar gameplay. Both Rock Band 4 and Guitar Hero Live offer distinct strumming experiences on the PS4.
Rock Band 4 on PS4 sticks to the familiar and widely loved five-color button highway system. If you’ve played any Guitar Hero or Rock Band game before, picking up the Rock Band 4 guitar will feel instantly comfortable. The learning curve is minimal, allowing you to jump right into your favorite songs and start shredding.
Rock Band 4
The core gameplay remains largely unchanged, focusing on note accuracy and rhythm. Rock Band 4 adds “Freestyle Guitar Solos,” which are sections where you can improvise. While these can be fun, opinions are divided on how well they integrate into the gameplay, with some finding them a bit hit-or-miss in terms of sounding musically coherent.
Guitar Hero Live on PS4, developed by Freestyle Games (known for DJ Hero), completely reimagines the guitar interface. It introduces a six-button guitar with two rows of three buttons. This new layout aims to simulate the feeling of playing real guitar chords and offers a fresh challenge, even for seasoned rhythm game veterans.
Mastering the Guitar Hero Live guitar takes time. It requires retraining your muscle memory to navigate the two rows of buttons. However, once you adapt, the gameplay can feel more engaging and arguably more like playing an actual guitar, especially on higher difficulty levels where complex chord shapes become essential. This innovative approach makes Guitar Hero Live a compelling option for players seeking a novel guitar game experience on PS4.
Winner: Guitar Hero Live (for innovative guitar gameplay), Rock Band 4 (for classic, familiar gameplay)
The “winner” here depends on your preference. If you love the classic five-button system and want a seamless transition on PS4, Rock Band 4 is ideal. If you’re seeking a fresh challenge and a more guitar-like feel, Guitar Hero Live‘s new controller is a fascinating evolution.
Beyond Guitar: Band Experience vs. Guitar Focus on PS4
While “ps4 rock band guitar” is the focus, rhythm games often offer more than just guitar. The scope of instrument options differs significantly between Rock Band 4 and Guitar Hero Live on PS4.
Rock Band 4 on PS4 remains true to its band-centric roots. It includes drums, bass guitar, and vocals alongside the lead guitar. This makes it a complete band game experience, perfect for playing with friends and family in a local multiplayer setting. As mentioned earlier, most wireless legacy controllers for these instruments should also be compatible with the PS4 version. However, Rock Band 4 notably removed keyboard support, which was a feature in Rock Band 3.
I suppose you can sleep well too, though I
Guitar Hero Live on PS4 deliberately narrows its focus to the guitar. It’s designed primarily around the experience of being a lead guitarist. Drums and bass guitar are absent. While Guitar Hero Live does offer a vocal mode using a microphone or a companion app, it’s clearly secondary to the guitar-centric gameplay. If you’re solely interested in guitar gameplay on PS4, Guitar Hero Live delivers a focused experience.
Winner: Rock Band 4 (for full band experience)
If you envision playing with a full band setup on PS4, Rock Band 4 is the obvious choice. Guitar Hero Live is tailored for those primarily interested in guitar gameplay.
Visual Presentation: Stylized Characters vs. Live-Action on PS4
The visual styles of Rock Band 4 and Guitar Hero Live on PS4 are drastically different, influencing the overall feel of each game.
Rock Band 4 on PS4 retains the series’ established visual style. It features stylized, polygonal characters and environments. While visually enhanced for the PS4 generation, it largely maintains the aesthetic of previous Rock Band games. Character customization is present, allowing you to create your virtual band members, but the style remains consistent with the series’ cartoonish vibe. This familiar style contributes to Rock Band 4‘s comfortable and recognizable feel.
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Guitar Hero Live on PS4 adopts a bold, live-action visual approach. The game features two main modes with distinct visual styles. “GHTV” mode uses official music videos as backgrounds, creating a music television channel experience. This is a great way to discover new music and enjoy the visual accompaniment of music videos while playing.
The “GH Live” mode uses first-person, live-action video. Your bandmates and the crowd react dynamically to your performance. While ambitious, the execution is somewhat divisive. Some find the live-action footage immersive, while others find it cheesy or even off-putting due to the overly perfect and sometimes unrealistic portrayal of the band and crowd. The visual style of “GH Live” is a significant departure from traditional rhythm game visuals and can be a make-or-break factor depending on personal taste.
Get off my fucking telly, you complete and utter immaculate moron
Winner: Guitar Hero Live (for GHTV mode visuals), Rock Band 4 (for consistent, stylized visuals)
Visual preference is subjective. Guitar Hero Live‘s GHTV mode offers a unique music video experience, while “GH Live” mode’s live-action visuals are more polarizing. Rock Band 4 provides a familiar, stylized look that series fans will appreciate.
Content Libraries: On-Disc Tracks and Downloadable Songs on PS4
The amount and type of music available out of the box and through downloadable content (DLC) are crucial considerations for rhythm game longevity on PS4.
Rock Band 4 on PS4 comes with a substantial on-disc library of around 65 songs spanning various genres and eras. While the on-disc selection is solid, expanding your song library primarily relies on purchasing DLC. Rock Band 4 boasts an extensive DLC library, carrying over a vast majority of songs from previous Rock Band titles. This means you can potentially access thousands of songs for purchase, if you’re willing to invest. When you purchase Rock Band 4 DLC, you own the songs permanently and can play them offline as much as you like.
Guitar Hero Live on PS4 offers a smaller on-disc tracklist in its “GH Live” mode. However, its standout feature is “GHTV,” a streaming music video mode that launched with hundreds of songs playable at no extra cost. New songs were continuously added to GHTV post-launch, offering a constantly expanding library of streamable content. While GHTV provides access to a large library without upfront DLC purchases, it’s a streaming service. To play specific songs on demand in GHTV, you may need to use “play tokens,” which can be earned in-game or purchased with real money. You don’t “own” the songs in GHTV in the traditional sense.
The GHTV mode in all its glory. This is Guitar Hero Live
Winner: Guitar Hero Live (for initial content volume via GHTV), Rock Band 4 (for DLC ownership and vast library)
For immediate content access and music discovery, Guitar Hero Live‘s GHTV is compelling. For building a permanent, owned music library on PS4, Rock Band 4‘s DLC system is superior, especially if you’re already invested in the Rock Band ecosystem.
Single-Player and Multiplayer Experiences on PS4
How do Rock Band 4 and Guitar Hero Live cater to solo players versus those who enjoy jamming with friends on PS4?
Guitar Hero Live on PS4 leans heavily towards the single-player experience. Its “GHTV” mode features a progression system where you level up, unlock customizations, and complete challenges, providing a sense of solo progression. The focused guitar gameplay and structure of GHTV are well-suited for individual play sessions.
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Rock Band 4 on PS4, while offering a career mode, is ultimately designed for multiplayer. Its local multiplayer mode shines, allowing up to four players to perform together as a band. The cooperative band gameplay, where players work together to nail songs, is a core strength of Rock Band 4. Guitar Hero Live severely limits local multiplayer, offering only competitive two-guitar play in GHTV, which is less engaging than Rock Band 4‘s cooperative band experience.
Not even Weezer can make local multiplayer better in Guitar Hero Live
Winner: Guitar Hero Live (for single-player progression), Rock Band 4 (for local multiplayer)
If you primarily play alone on PS4, Guitar Hero Live‘s GHTV mode offers a more structured single-player experience. If local multiplayer is a priority, Rock Band 4 is the undisputed champion.
Ongoing Support and Updates: Post-Launch Content
Both Rock Band 4 and Guitar Hero Live were positioned as platforms for ongoing updates and content releases.
Rock Band 4 on PS4 received updates adding features like “Brutal Mode” for increased difficulty and social score challenges. Harmonix has continued to release DLC songs for Rock Band 4 for years after its launch, demonstrating long-term support.
Guitar Hero Live also received updates post-launch, including new songs added to GHTV and customization options. A “Rivals” mode was introduced, adding online competitive elements to GHTV. However, support for Guitar Hero Live eventually waned, with fewer updates and new content releases compared to Rock Band 4 over the long term.
Guitar Hero Live Rivals mode
Winner: Rock Band 4 (for long-term support and updates)
While both games initially received updates, Rock Band 4 has demonstrably enjoyed more sustained support and a longer lifespan of new content releases.
Verdict: Which PS4 Guitar Game Rocks Harder for You?
Choosing between Guitar Hero Live and Rock Band 4 on PS4 ultimately depends on your priorities as a player.
If you’re primarily a single-player gamer seeking a fresh guitar gameplay experience and enjoy music discovery through streaming, Guitar Hero Live is a strong contender. Its innovative guitar controller and GHTV mode offer a unique and engaging solo experience on PS4.
Yes, even despite these beautiful arseholes
However, if you value local multiplayer, want a full band experience, and prefer a classic five-button guitar with a vast owned DLC library, Rock Band 4 is the better choice. It excels in social gaming and provides a familiar and expansive rhythm game ecosystem on PS4, especially if you already own legacy instruments and DLC.
Rock Band 4 pic 2
Finally, consider price and instrument availability. Guitar Hero Live initially launched at a lower price point with a guitar bundle, while Rock Band 4 could be more expensive, especially if you needed to purchase multiple instruments. However, prices fluctuate, so check current deals for both games and instrument bundles on PS4. If you already own PS3 Rock Band instruments, Rock Band 4 offers a cost-effective entry point, especially if you can find the software-only version.
Ultimately, both Guitar Hero Live and Rock Band 4 offer fantastic rhythm game experiences on PS4. By weighing your priorities regarding gameplay style, multiplayer preferences, and content library, you can choose the “ps4 rock band guitar” game that will best unleash your inner rockstar.
