Rock Band & Guitar Hero Instrument Compatibility Guide

[admin]

Rock Band and Guitar Hero are two games we enjoy very much at Audioholics. But there are four platforms for the game, a number of instruments, and now third party hardware. Add it up and you have a compatibility matrix worthy of the best mathematicians in the country. We wanted to know what instruments would work with what games... and on what platforms. Unlike the gaming industry, which thinks I actually care about the hardware or which brand of game I'm playing, I'm all about the MUSIC. If I am an Aerosmith fan I want to pick up my guitar and play Aerosmith. I don't care whether or not that band signed with Harmonix or Activision. I may care that they left off some of their greatest songs and that the game doesn't allow me to play drums or sing...


Discuss "Rock Band & Guitar Hero Instrument Compatibility Guide" here. Read the article.

[GlocksRock]

Very good writeup, it takes the mystery out of what works with what.

[kyeo138]

I have Guitar Hero 3, Rock Band and Rock Band 2 for PS3.
I think the Les Paul guitar is the one that came with GH3.

In the list, it says the Les Paul is not compatible with Rock Band 1 and 2, however I can verify that it does work with both Rock Bands. I like to use it as the bass

[malvado78]

I have Guitar Hero 3, Rock Band and Rock Band 2 for PS3.
I think the Les Paul guitar is the one that came with GH3.

In the list, it says the Les Paul is not compatible with Rock Band 1 and 2, however I can verify that it does work with both Rock Bands. I like to use it as the bass

I was pretty sure this was the case as well.

[jthomp27]

(at least for me) The Les Paul controller is 100% compatible with Rock Band 1 & 2 on the PS3.

[erel888]

hey guys ive heard that if you wont update GH3 game the RB2 guitar will work on it. any chance that is true?

XBOX360

[emiasage]

wat about band hero set(ps3)..?compatible with all..?

[LocalH]

Just a heads-up - the PS2 controller compatibility chart is slightly incorrect. The GH Kramer works with everything that the SG controller works with, including RB 1 and 2. Also, you might want to separate GH3 and GH:Aerosmith, as the latter game added support for the RB Strats (as have all games since GH:A). Interestingly, all PS2 GH games since, and including, GH:Aerosmith actually support the use of applicable 360 and PS3 instruments on the PS2 (which, at least in the sense of RB kit, are identical between PS2 and PS3, and obviously means that no drum kit works on GH:A). The PS2 RB games only support the original-style GH controllers that attach to the PS2 controller ports along with the PS2/3 RB kit. I have personally used a 360 RB1 drum kit successfully with GH5. Not sure how it works as I've never tested it, but the files for both GH:WT and GH5 (and likely GH:Metallica, GH:Smash Hits, and GH:Van Halen as well) have support for "PS2 USB Adapter", and GH5 also lists support for "360 USB Gamepad", but I'm not sure how much use the latter would be (except for a vocalist).

List of strings found in the file BCUI.IRX on the GH5 disc:

PS3 GH3 Guitar
PS3 Rockband Guitar
PS3 Rockband Drums
360 Rockband Guitar
360 Rockband Drums
360 USB Gamepad (!)
360 GH2 Guitar
PS2 USB Adapter (!)
PS3 GH4 Drums