Why Is Rock Band 4 More Expensive on Xbox One Than PS4?

Harmonix has revealed the reason for the pricing difference between the PS4 and Xbox One standalone versions of Rock Band 4.

[2pacalypsenow]

Because the xbox 1 comes with an adapter and the PS4 works right outta the box on the peripherals

[LOGICWINS]

Held on to my instruments for six years waiting for this day to come. I hope they still work. Harmonix should have a buyback program for old instruments. I'd happily let them take my old instruments for a discount on the new ones.

[Rimeskeem]

I believe this should answer your comment

http://oyster.ignimgs.com/w...

[GranTurismoFan]

Entitlement is strong in this one

[Unspoken]

Xbox uses faster and newer WiFi direct requiring an adapter. PS4 uses old Bluetooth technology.

[captainbigballs]

so basically, if you have the xbox one don't buy it.

$80 for a game is ridiculous in 2015.
I was looking forward to it too, oh well.

[RiseofScorpio]

Well yes since I still have my old instruments so its worth it to me.

[ThePope]

$80 is not ridiculous for a game in 2015. $60 is ridiculous for a game in 2015. We've been paying the same for games for almost 11 years! You do realize games are 50% of not 100% bigger and deeper than they were 11 years ago. If developers could make more money there would be more of them and games.

[DragonKnight]

@ThePope: Feel free to volunteer $20 more per game you buy. No one is stopping you.

[aconnellan]

"$80 for a game is ridiculous in 2015. "

Whereabouts do you live? In Australia prices have been $90-$120 for a brand new game for as long as I can remember, I'm used to it.

[PSN_ZeroOnyx]

Nintendo had plenty of $80 games on the SNES. FF2 (FF3), FF3 (FF5), Donkey Kong, Zelda, Metroid, Spiderman and pretty much all AAA games on SNES were $80 on day 1.

Neo-Geo games were $200 new. Nintendo went to discs because they new if they stuck to cartridges it would force them to sell games for $100 per game due to increased memory requirements, they seen how high prices stopped Neo-Geo from going mainstream even though Neo-Geo was a superior console in its day.

Point being, they need to make money. This requires a price which won't detour consumers. While I do believe prices will go up eventually, they can't get greedy or they'll go the way of the Neo-Geo (Thankfully the rights to SNK and its games were bought because Neo-Geo was the console of choice for fighting games)

[Doll8313]

Are you kidding? If you're a fan of the franchise right now your option is to spend $100's on a game and new guitar OR spend $80 on the game and an adapter.

Are you really *that* irrational?

[deafdani]

Did you even read the reason for the price, dude? The Xbox One version comes with an adapter, which is needed if you want your old peripherals to work with the game.

Or do you believe Harmonix should just give you that adapter for free?

[Death]

Rockband Band in a box is $249.99 on the PS4 and Xbox One. Rockband 4 with the guitar is $129.99 on the PS4 and Xbox One. If you have the instruments from previous gens then on PS4 it's disc only for $59.99 and on Xbox One $79.99 for the disc and adapter. http://www.gamestop.com/col...

[captainbigballs]

@aconnellan good point, it could be worse

[XanderZane]

Don't understand why they just didn't make new instruments that are compatible with the XB1. So gamers can only use the older XBox 360 instruments with the XB1 version or is there a XB1 bundle that comes with brand new instruments that will work for the XB1 out of the box? I'm not getting the game anyway, but I'm just curious.

[bolbgt]

There are new instruments that work with Xbox One. The issue is that OLD instruments don't work with Xbox One WITHOUT the adapter. That's why the standalone edition cost more but the bundled game (with new instrument) doesn't cost more. If you're getting a standalone (without an instrument) version, it's probably because you want to use old instrument, so they are bundling it.

[cl1983]

It's part of the backwards compatibly.

[TheXgamerLive]

Xbox One works right out of the Xbox too. Please read and understand the post. Also its an option if needed, theirs more than 1 SKU available. 1 is also the same cost as the ps4.

[brianunfried]

Why don't third party peripherals use bluetooth? Doesn't make sense, too expensive maybe. I would pay extra to get rid of the dongle.

[lashes2ashes]

The 360 instruments don't use Bluetooth or the 360 system. The dongle is so you can use the old instruments. Ps4 and PS3 both used Bluetooth so thus no need for a dongle.

[brianunfried]

You are incorrect, all instruments on the PS3 use RF wireless and require a RF receiver.

[Highlife]

Brian is right I own all 3 ps3 rock band games and all instruments came with a dongle now don't know what kind of connection it had with the dongle but it was there

[Omegasyde]

there is going to be a dongle you can buy for rockband that lets use old instruments
it will be extra, but better than buying a new set

[brianunfried]

If a peripheral has an extra piece of hardware that plugs into the USB port then it uses RF (Radio Frequency). If it doesn't then it uses Bluetooth. Didn't realize there were so many people that don't know the difference. RF is the old technology that television remotes have been using for over 50 years. You learned something new today.

[mkis007]

you do not need anything new for them to work. The original dongle is all a ps4 player needs to play with the ps3 kits.

[thisgamer503]

Television sets have been using IR haven't they? Am I in the twilight zone? I wish they used RF. We wouldn't have to have clear line of site to the tv if that were the case.

Seriously, someone please correct me if i'm wrong.

[dumahim]

TVs use IF. If it was RF you wouldn't need line of sight.

[boing1]

And I didn't realize that people don't know the difference between RF and IR.

[MainstreamGamer]

since when did Television remote use RF? I think you meant IR, as in Infrared. TV remotes is line of sight not Radio Frequency.

[VenomUK]

@Mainstream Gamer.

Most TVs use IR but some do use RF. I have a 5 year old Samsung TV that at the time of purchase was top of the range. It uses a Radio Frequency signal and is brilliant because it doesn't have to have a line of sight to work. You can be slouched in your sofa pointing the remote at the ceiling or even in another room and it still works!

[Dudebro90]

The adapter should be $10. $20 for a USB adapter is insane.

[LeCreuset]

What I was thinking. Seems like a price grab wrapped around legitimate reasons.

[IamTylerDurden1]

Wow 20$ more on xbone? Dang. Good thing PS3 used bluetooth, i'm glad i kept my drum set and mic, i just need a guitar.

Safe to say Rockband 4 will sell far better on PS4, 80$ is crazy.

[Rimeskeem]

Im wondering if the 8 player factor will comes in play. The xbox one can use 8 controllers at once while PS4 does 4. Can you do a 5 or even six man band?

But I do think its ridiculous they charge 20$ for the usb

[SoapShoes]

Probably not... PS3 supported 7 controllers but no one was parading that around as an advantage.

[IamTylerDurden1]

I highly doubt 8 man bands are doable. I wouldn't be surprised if it limits u to 4.

I've always preferred Rockband, i'm actually kind of excited to rock out again. Guilty pleasure...

[PSN_ZeroOnyx]

PS3 used 7 controllers and it was nearly useless. Party games, top down racers, bowling and a few others used this feature. Why buy that many controllers when 90% of the games using this feature work just fine passing 1 controller around the room?

[tinynuggins]

It is insane, considering it cost less than 70 cents to produce.

[XanderZane]

Even if the game was $60 on the XB1 it would sell better on the PS4 as there are almost twice as many PS4 sold into the market. I don't understand why Microsoft didn't put Bluetooth option into the XB1. Probably because the system was already expensive to begin with. The price of the USB adapter is too expensive. Glad I don't have to worry about it. I've always played Guitar Hero.

[FallenAngel1984]

I guess PlayStation's use of Bluetooth with its controllers has once again come in handy

[TheLoCoRaven]

How many bad design decisions can one console make?

[Dudebro90]

Has nothing to with Microsoft making a choice. Mad catZ priced the adapter.

Your biased is showing.

[TheLoCoRaven]

If the XB1 was designed with Bluetooth they wouldn't need an adapter to begin with . . . it was a bad design choice.

[GUTZnPAPERCUTZ]

Same goes with Sony not having RF, Xbox One's RF is over 6ghz while PS4's is the newest version of Bluetooth but is limited to 3.5ghz peak so Thats why X1's controllers can go 30+ft vs the PS4's 15-20ft. same goes with RF frequencies not working on PS4. Its not a bad design choice as it is just a different frequency, Bluetooth is low power where RF is more power, Blue tooth is 1:1 a little better than RF when it comes to distance to power ratio but both have their advantages and disadvantages.

[OpenGL]

@GUTZnPAPERCUTZ

You've got that wrong, lower frequencies usually have longer range and better building penetration. The only reason I could see the Xbox One controllers working better at a higher frequency would be that the frequency spectrum used by Bluetooth is more crowded by other Bluetooth and WiFi devices.

I've never had an issue with Dual shock 3 or 4 range though.

[IamTylerDurden1]

It'd be cool if u can play guitar and sing at the same time, if u know the song it's doable.

[TheLoCoRaven]

I do that with about 5 songs or so on Rockband. I just pick two player and do both.

[PSN_ZeroOnyx]

I use to do this on PS3 with GH:WT. Just plug in mic as player 2.

[343_Guilty_Spark]

Wifi Direct is better than Bluetooth.

[badz149]

LOL you are missing the point to a whole new level! Please...can you please give us the list of peripherals in this world that are usng wifi direct as its interface?

[Unspoken]

XBox One and Xbox Elite controllers.

'nuf said!

"Drop mic"

[badz149]

That's it? Nothing else? No wonder nobody cares about it LOL!

[iistuii]

I think having to re-buy 100's of songs if i changed console would be a lot more expensive than a dongle....

[dumahim]

Yeah, $20 for one adaptor for all your instruments is not bad, considering the alternative.

[DarXyde]

Can I transfer my setlist from Xbox 360 to PS4?

If not, should I decide to get the game at all, I might be more inclined to play it on Xbox One. I have too much to lose by switching platforms, even if I really want to.

[lashes2ashes]

Nope, 360 to xboxone and PS3 to ps4 only. I prefer my ps4 but I'm going to have to play it in Xbox one because I have hundreds of songs on 360.

[Iknoweverything]

They explained its for an adapter but tbf its not a big deal as its a small price to prevent ppl from buying new instruments and as I have thousands of dlc on 360 and psn did not have rbn where as xb360 did so that's a plus and if I remember rightly dlc stopped for a while on PS3 due to issues with licensing etc so

[xPaYDaYx]

Jesus Christ 80 bucks lol, I thought 60 was a lot.

[ssj3jp]

Also its 129.99 for rock band 4 with guitar bundle not 99.99. Guitar hero live is only 99.99 for guitar bundle.

[IamTylerDurden1]

Yes, but Rockband has higher quality guitars, Guitar Hero's guitars look cheap as **** now. Rockband replicates a Strat and it looks impressive.

I prefer Rockband.

@ etownone #17

Or....I can buy Rockband for $59.99 and use my PS3 instruments cuz u know, Blue Tooth and stuff ; )

[etownone]

So...

Although it's awesome yo get to use your old instruments...

$80 for Rock Band without the guitar..
$100 for Guitar Hero Live with guitar.

Idk... decisions decisions. .. I got all the old controllers for rock band and guitar hero