Officially licensed wireless controllers inspired by Gibson’s legendary Les Paul guitars are up for preorder at Amazon. Designed by the team behind Guitar Hero controllers and manufactured by CRKD, the Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controllers support Xbox, PC, Nintendo Switch, mobile, and select legacy hardware. Though most will probably buy it for Fortnite Festival in mind, the controller also supports Rock Band 4, Clone Hero, and older rhythm games. Prices range from $110 to $130, depending on your platform and color choice, and all four models launch June 27.
CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controllers | Preorder, Releases June 27
CRKD’s Gibson Les Paul will be the second officially licensed guitar controller to release for modern platforms. The first was PDP’s Riffmaster, which launched for $130 but is currently on sale for $108 at Amazon. Inspired by Fender guitars, the Riffmaster offers the same core features as the CRKD controllers. PS5 and PS4 players will need the Riffmaster Guitar Controller, as CRKD’s Les Paul notably lacks modern PlayStation support. It’s the opposite situation on Nintendo Switch, with the Les Paul offering Switch compatibility and the Riffmaster omitting it.
$130 | Xbox & PC
Officially licensed by Xbox, this CRKD x Gibson guitar is compatible with Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Android devices. You’ll most likely end up using it for Fortnite Festival, but it also works for titles like YARG and Clone Hero on PC and Rock Band 4 on Xbox.
Featuring mechanical buttons for reliable input, a Hall Effect strum bar with haptic feedback, and a gorgeous Les Paul design, it’s a pretty robust plastic guitar. It even supports both wired and wireless play thanks to a 2.4GHz dongle and Bluetooth.
All your face buttons and triggers can be found on a central hub, giving you a simple way to navigate menus without needing a standard Xbox controller, and a modular fret neck lets you swap it out for a new style. Of course, no premium controller is complete without a bit of RGB lighting, and you’ll find plenty of colorful lights scattered throughout the Gibson Les Paul guitar.
$120 | Xbox & PC
If you’d prefer a more subdued design, the Black Tribal Edition for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC costs 10 bucks less than the Blueberry Burst Pro.
$120 | Nintendo Switch, PC, Mobile, Legacy Platforms
This multiplatform Blueberry Burst Pro model offers the same features as the Xbox edition, but it’s priced at $120 instead. The lower price likely stems from the fact it isn’t compatible with modern Xbox or PlayStation consoles. Instead, it supports Nintendo Switch, PC, mobile and older consoles like PS3. Beyond those compatibility tweaks, you’re still getting reliable mechanical buttons, a Hall Effect strum bar, and both wired and wireless support via a 2.4GHz dongle and Bluetooth.
The multiplatform controller also offer support for rhythm games beyond Fortnite Festival, including old Guitar Hero and Rock Band games for PS3 as well as PC titles such as Clone Hero and YARG.
The Les Paul is CRKD’s first traditional guitar controller, but it’s technically not the brand’s first guitar controller. The recently released CRKD Neo S Fortnite Festival Edition is a compact “regular” controller with a detachable five-fret module. Reminiscent of the attachment for Guitar Hero games on Nintendo DS, the placement of the buttons provides a more natural feel compared to standard face buttons. The Neo S Fortnite Festival Edition costs $60 and is compatible with Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mobile. If you’re not a fan of the wavy purple color scheme, CRKD just launched a Black Tribal Edition of the Neo S with the fret attachment.
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