The PDP Riffmaster was first released back in April 2024, and it’s a wireless guitar controller that’s reviewed well, even if it is a little on the pricey side at the £130/$150 mark.
We’ve already looked at the CRKD x Gibson Guitar Controller, which costs slightly less and does a very nice job of handling… well, there aren’t actually that many games to play with guitar controllers on Switch consoles just now, so you’re gonna have to settle for Fortnite Festival with this new one, basically.
I’m assuming that the Riffmaster is designed specifically for this use case (although, of course, defeating Dark Souls with a guitar is what you came for). It’s PDP’s first guitar peripheral since 2015, when they released a Fender Jaguar-styled model for Rock Band. You know, back when everybody’s home was filled with plastic guitars for the post-pub ritual of ‘being better than your mates at pretending you’re able to play a guitar’.
Okay, there’s far more to it than that; it’s a skilful pursuit, is perfecting the trickiest of rhythm game tracks, and something that I personally spent a lot of time (a shameful amount of time) enjoying back in the days when I could still feel pleasure. So, after an initial release that didn’t see Nintendo consoles included, here we have a dedicated Switch model and, I’m pleased to say, it makes a solid impression.
Admittedly, being offered a guitar peripheral to review for Switch wasn’t really on my radar when this one showed up. I’d given up on my love of all things Guitar Hero-related, and my collection of plastic instruments (you better believe I’ve had a lot of drum kits and guitars and DJ decks through my house) has long since departed to that great big CEX in the sky. So, what’s it like to re-involve oneself through the PDP Riffmaster?
Well, if it had more games specifically for it — if I could plug it in (you don’t even need a dongle, you just sync ‘n’ stroke) and get wellied into a load of my favourite tunes — I’d be having a great time, I’m sure. However, Fortnite Festival isn’t great in all honesty, and it can be a frustratingly menu-heavy experience for those who aren’t regular Fortnite players.
However, I’m here to review the guitar, not Epic’s money-vacuum, and the Riffmaster is a delightfully light (just 1.570 grams, apparently), quiet, and easy-to-use guitar controller that improves on that 2015 model I mentioned in meaningful ways. Its buttons are laid out in a better arrangement, it’s got a dedicated screenshot button so you can take pictures of the Fortnite menus, and it cleverly makes it easier to avoid erroneous inputs as you rock out.
Its strut bar is completely silent, making for a great way to stealthily jam with a pair of headphones in place, and it also stores away easily thanks to a foldable neck that doesn’t trade build quality for ease of use. Simply lift up the little switch on the back of the neck to either flip the neck up or down. It clicks satisfyingly into place and never feels like it’s wobbling or otherwise insecure as you play. Thusly, we are straight away in brownie points territory, as having big plastic guitars around your gaff can get untidy, and I appreciate this is easy to tuck out of sight. Even the box is surprisingly small.
The head can be fully removed, too, if needed, but the rest of the model is one piece, and this adds to an overall feeling of quality in the build. There’s no noticeable squeaking, or movement of parts as you play, the fret buttons that sit on the top and lower portions of the neck feel responsive, and it wasn’t too long (even with the game’s UI) before I was failing miserably at all of the tracks included in Fortnite Festival – which does seem to be loads. At least they got that bit right.
Now, my favourite part of all of this is that the strut bar is totally silent and doesn’t do any infuriating clicking and/or clacking as it moves. I hate that. I have always found it very distracting over the music (on older guitars, you could even hear it when the sound was full blast), and I’m grateful that it’s been removed.
This smoothness continues into the fret buttons, as they feel light, responsive, and easy to release. There’s no clickiness or feedback of any other type to distract you as you move between notes. It feels like a high-end version of what I remember playing years ago. Which, at this price point, is what you’d expect!
Am I any better at playing the songs as a result? No. But it feels as though it’s easier to move across the fret buttons quickly, so it’s unlikely that’s the guitar’s fault. Oh, and the range, which is apparently 30 feet of low-latency goodness, has impressed me as I’ve walked out to the kitchen for a snack midway through Soundgarden’s Black Hole Sun (space stuff makes me hungry) and it didn’t lose connection.
In terms of the overall design, it’s very similar to the PDP Fender, but here they’ve exaggerated the lower left side so it looks 70% more like it belongs to a guitarist in a sci-fi movie band. I like it. It looks good. However, it does create a little bit of an issue with the included strap, as the connection point is tucked in beside the resultant groove along the bottom, and the strap gets a little stuck in around the USB-C port. Not a biggie, but something to note.
It’s a very shiny guitar, too, so you’re mileage may vary if you hate fingerprints – really shows every last mark and smudge. You can take off the face plate if desired, so there’s the possibility to customise it a little. You know, maybe add a little Nintendo Life logo, or what have you. Oh, and isn’t it amazing to no longer need a ton of batteries for these things? This model lasts for around 30 hours on a full charge.
Overall, then, the PDP Riffmaster is a cracking bit of kit. It’s got me missing proper sessions on dedicated games. The only real criticism I have is that the price is hard to justify on Switch given the lack of games. Fortnite Festival will do — and I’m sure you know what you’re getting into if you’re considering a purchase anyway — but damn, it’d sure be nice to try this thing out on some proper games and with some proper local co-op action on the go, because everything about it feels great.
If you’re in the market for a guitar controller for your Switch or Switch 2, and the CRKD isn’t quite your scene, beyond a slight niggle with the guitar’s strap not quite agreeing with the body shape, everything else here is sick, streamlined, and easy to get jamming with. Now, bring on the rhythm game resurgence!
The sample used in this review was supplied by PDP.
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