The new generation looms ahead and with so many games being backwards compatible on both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, the gap between generations is becoming smaller and smaller. The latest backwards compatibility confirmation comes from Harmonix regarding Rock Band 4, so get those old instruments ready; it’s time to shred.
Harmonix has confirmed that Rock Band 4 and all of its DLC will work on next gen consoles at launch. Even better? Current gen instruments will work as well, though it looks like some more testing on functionality is still ongoing.
“Our team has been diligently testing a bunch of old gear on the new systems to make sure everything works exactly as it does today,” explains the studio. “When you break open those crisp new consoles, you should be able to connect your existing, compatible peripherals and play Rock Band 4 right out of the box.”
Here is the full list of gear tested that are confirmed to work on next gen systems:
- Mad Catz RB4 Fender™ Stratocaster™ Guitar (Xbox) Mad Catz RB4 Drums (Xbox) PDP RB4 Fender Jaguar™ Guitar (Xbox) PDP RB4 Drums (Xbox) Mad Catz RB4 Fender Stratocaster Guitar (PS4) Mad Catz RB4 Drums (PS4) PDP RB4 Fender Jaguar Guitar (PS4) PDP RB4 Drums (PS4) Mad Catz RB3 Fender Stratocaster Guitar (Xbox, Mad Catz Wireless Legacy Adapter required) Mad Catz The Beatles™: Rock Band Gretsch™ Duo-Jet™ Guitar (Xbox, Mad Catz Wireless Legacy Adapter required) Mad Catz RB3 Drums (Xbox, Mad Catz Wireless Legacy Adapter required) Mad Catz RB2 Fender Stratocaster Guitar (Xbox, Mad Catz Wireless Legacy Adapter required) ION® Drum Rocker (Xbox, PDP Wired Legacy Adapter required) Mad Catz RB3 Fender Stratocaster Guitar (PS3, Dongle required) Mad Catz RB3 Drums (PS3, Dongle required) Mad Catz RB2 Drums (PS3, Dongle required) Mad Catz RB2 Fender Stratocaster Guitar (PS3, Dongle required) ION Drum Rocker (PS3)
Previous adaptors for the Xbox players will also still work as well. As for save data and DLC, the studio confirms that all DLC currently available will transfer over with no issues, as well as save data.
But what about crossgen play? Harmonix confirms that online multiplayer will be crossgen compatible in terms of consoles, so PlayStation 5 players can play with PlayStation 4 players and Xbox Series X/S players can play with Xbox One players. While cross-platform won’t be an option, it’s nice for those that will leaping into next gen when not everyone is planning to do the same.
[Source: Harmonix]