Summary
- CRKD has revealed its first guitar controllers, designed with Gibson so they look like Les Pauls.
- There’s an Encore Edition, and a Pro Edition which has a hall effect strum bar with haptic feedback.
- The guitar is compatible with PC and Switch with a separate version available for Xbox.
Not many people would have guessed Fortnite would be responsible for the revival of instrument controllers, but Fortnite Festival has done that. PDP was the first to create a guitar controller compatible with Fortnite’s rhythm game and Rock Band 4 and now CRKD has got in on the fun, revealing a range of guitar controllers created with the help of Gibson.
CRKD has arguably gone quite a bit further than PDP which is probably why it has taken a year longer than its peripheral rival to perfect its guitar controllers. That its designs have been made in collaboration with Gibson, the legendary creators of real guitars and the minds behind the Les Paul, is a big check in the win column for the company responsible for other innovative video game accessories like the Nitro Deck and the ATOM controller.
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Turns out CRKD’s tiny new controller is more than just a novelty item.
There are two editions of CRKD’s Gibson Les Paul guitar controllers to choose from – the Black Tribal Encore Edition, and the Blueberry Burst Pro Edition. The Encore Edition is effectively the standard guitar with standard strum and fret buttons, priced at $109.99 or $119.99 for the Xbox version. However, for an additional $10, you can pre-order the Pro Edition which, at first glance, appears to be a lot more than $10 better than the Encore Edition.
CRKD Has Revealed New Guitar Controllers Made In Collaboration With Gibson
There’s A Regular Encore Edition And An Enhanced Pro Edition To Choose From
Aside from coming in a different color, the Pro Edition of CRKD’s Les Paul has an Advanced Fret System which its creators claim ups the controller’s precision and responsiveness. It also has a hall effect strum bar with haptic feedback, making your virtual music-playing experience feel more authentic than ever before.
The Les Paul guitars join the Fortnite Festival Edition of CRKD’s NEO S controller, further expanding the options available through CRKD when it comes to different ways to play rhythm games in 2025. The Purple Wave NEO S has a five-fret attachment so that you can use it as a faux guitar to play rhythm games, and you can check out what we thought of it via our review.
CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller
CRKD has released guitar controllers created in collaboration with Gibson and designed to resemble the iconic company’s Les Paul. There are two versions to choose from, Pro and Encore, with the Pro Edition offering additional features such as a hall effect strum bar with haptic feedback.
Like the Fortnite Festival NEO S, CRKD’s Les Paul controllers don’t appear to be compatible with PS5. The cheaper version of each controller is compatible with PC, PC handhelds, Nintendo Switch, and Android devices, while the editions that cost $10 more have been specifically designed to play rhythm games on your Xbox. Both the Encore and Pro editions are available to pre-order now and will be released in June if all goes to plan.
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