No Bluetooth for PS3 guitars

By Robert Purchese Published 11 October, 2007

RedOctane, Harmonix improvise.

PS3 guitar peripherals for Rock Band and Guitar Hero 3 will not use Bluetooth technology at launch.

The news was unearthed by 1UP, who noticed a large and unwieldy wireless dongle drooping around a foot in length from the bottom of the Guitar Hero 3 axe.

When contacted about it, RedOctane spokesperson Bryan Lam said it had developed its own wireless solution so it could launch in time, because currently Bluetooth tools only cater for the Sixaxis controllers.

This was later confirmed by Rock Band developer Harmonix, which stated its first-generation of guitars would not feature Bluetooth. Let's hope a USB wireless dongle-hub is provided so all instruments can be played at the same time, then.

Some observers feel the hold-up is due to Sony not issuing adequate tools to allow third-parties to make use of the Bluetooth connectivity. Others suggest RedOctane and Harmonix looked to develop their own technology because of Sixaxis connection problems in the past.

Nintendo, however, doesn't have the same problems, as its peripherals will tap into the existing Bluetooth signals from the controllers. Microsoft will also not have to fart around with dongles, as it has a receiver built in to the Xbox 360.

Guitar Hero 3 is due out on PS3, PC, 360, Wii and PS2 on 23rd November. You can see how it is shaping up over in our Guitar Hero 3 gamepage, where you will also find the most up to date track list and our hands-on impressions.

Rock Band will be released in the first quarter of 2008. PS3 bundle packs will have wireless guitars while 360 boxes will feature wired peripherals and a USB hub to connect them all - wireless axes can be bought separately. Pop over to our Rock Band gamepage for more.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (47) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Carlo #1 4 years ago

    Bluetooth only works with Sony headsets? Utter bullshit!
    Edited by 1 at 11/10/07 @ 15:55

  • Ace_McCloud #2 4 years ago

    heh heh heh, oooh Sony!

  • groovychainsaw #3 4 years ago

    weird - i thought the reason they were going with a wired guitar on the 360 was due to the proprietary 360 wireless... But now sony's thing is just as difficult they've developed a dongle solution, but just for the PS3? Why can't they do the same on the 360 now?

  • Dafridge #4 4 years ago

    A dangling dongle hee hee hee

    umm... seriosuly though who cares its still wireless!!!

  • LeD #5 4 years ago

    Another slap in the technically challenged PS3's face.

    "If you act like a bitch, then you get slapped like a bitch".

  • crazyhorse174 #6 4 years ago

    ...i thought the reason they were going with a wired guitar on the 360 was due to the proprietary 360 wireless...

    Isn't the 360 guitar wireless as well? It was just GH2's that wasn't.

  • Arwin #7 4 years ago

    Eh? Almost all bluetooth headsets work with the PS3 ...

    What I'm thinking is that they're simply being cheap. Bluetooth is just more expensive in terms of licencing, and they don't want to have the usb slot in there as well that's needed for pairing a controller. And above all, this way they don't have to have separate controllers from the 360, which is the lowest common denominator here, because it doesn't have BluTooth built in. A BlueTooth expansion for the 360 would have been much more expensive than the very cheap wireless 2.4mhz thingies.

    Am I wrong?

  • cyacomini #8 4 years ago

    The guitars are wired on the 360 due to cost, not technical gubbins.

    The wireless API for the 360 was developed by MS and you need to license the technology to use it in your own products. They said they were going to stick with wired kit so they wouldnt have to pass on the cost to the consumer.

  • bioreit #9 4 years ago

    @ Egster

    Tit.

  • mkreku #10 4 years ago

    How odd. I've read somewhere else that the PS3 accepts almost anything that adheres to the Bluetooth standard..? Including all sorts of headsets and keyboards..

  • ElasticTangent #11 4 years ago

    No doubt Sony will be along anytime soon to state the complete opposite. I've got a Motorola headset and a wireless keyboard connected via bluetooth so I guess my PS3 must be special (or should that be soon to be obsolete now that the 60GB model is being dropped?).

  • Gurgeh #12 4 years ago

    "How odd. I've read somewhere else that the PS3 accepts almost anything that adheres to the Bluetooth standard..? Including all sorts of headsets and keyboards.. "

    There's several varieties of Bluetooth; the PS3 is version 2.0 AFAIK, but even that is a bit of a grey area as not all 2.0 devices communicate at the same rate. In short, it's not surprising that some devices don't work or cause interference.

  • Razzajazz #13 4 years ago

    Bluetooth has seperate profiles for seperate things (Headset, A2DP, AVRCP, etc.) Maybe Sony have created a seperate profile for their controllers, which would make sense. I don't have a PS3 so I can't check, but has anybody tried connecting a SIXAXIS to a bluetooth-enabled PC and see if it does anything?

  • miiiguel #14 4 years ago

    ok..., next week's PS3 SKU - no Blutooth and 50 Eur drop.
    Blu-Rayless to be expected.

  • kangarootoo #15 4 years ago

    "currently Bluetooth only works on Sixaxis controllers and Sony headsets - first-party hardware"

    I wouldn't know about controllers, but the reference to headset is straight out nonsense. I have a Logitech headset working just fine with my PS3, and I'm certain the headset supplied with Warhawk isn't a Sony model either.

    Bluetooth is an open standard so its either bluetooth or it isn't. If Harmonix are saying only proprietary kit works, what they are saying is that Sony's bluetooth implemenation is not compliant.

    If that was the case, it would be "illegal" ("" because I'm not sure it would actually be against the law, though it sounds like the same ballpark as Sun being able to sue if you call something Java compliant and its not, as they did to MS) for them to write "Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)" all over their PS3 specs.

    I smell something hamoniously fishy.

  • Rirekon #16 4 years ago

    While the PS3 obviously uses standard PS3 for most peripherals I bet there's some funny encoding for peripherals which are used for game control.
    Let's face it, how many 3rd party wireless controllers have you all seen for the PS3 so far?

    edit: Sorry I just need to add "PS3lol" or this comments thread won't feel complete.
    Edited by 1 at 11/10/07 @ 15:48

  • SeesThroughAll #17 4 years ago

    It's cheaper to do that 4.2GHz thing than to use Bluetooth.

    No news here...

  • miiiguel #18 4 years ago

    It must cost more to implement or something. I just wish the playmakers of these industry weren't such liars.

  • QPRHOOPS81 #19 4 years ago

    complete crap. The PS3 can pair with pretty much any bluetooth device. I have both a keyboard and jabra 250v connected. neither of which are Sony.

    Maybe as noted by someone else this is just a cost saving thing, though cant see that it would save any money as the bluetooth is built into the ps3 so there is no need for a dongle. surely having less parts will make it cheaper?

  • SeesThroughAll #20 4 years ago

    because currently Bluetooth only works on Sixaxis controllers and Sony headsets - first-party hardware.

    This is wrong, EG. FIX IT

  • tonynibbles #21 4 years ago

    Suppose bluetooth is too expensive for them? It hasn't stopped third party controllers up till now.

    Oh well. So long the game KICKS ASS. And those UDB dongles are not that bad...

  • NewbieZilla #22 4 years ago

    PS3failslol.

  • kangarootoo #23 4 years ago

    @SeesThroughAll

    Errr, tts a quotation.

    It may be factually incorrect, but thats not EG's fault.

  • SeesThroughAll #24 4 years ago

    Errrr... I'm sorry guys.

    No doubt about it then, it's bullshit on the guy's part.
    If they take issue with licensing costs, just admit it instead of lying about BT support.

  • Skeptopotamus #25 4 years ago

    More importantly, GH3 not out for a whole MONTH after the US release? Bah!

  • Beano #26 4 years ago

    Funny to see how many "haters" who rush in to blaim Sony/PS3 for RedOctane/Harmonix cheap way out of manufacturing a proper BT wireless as standard.

    "When contacted about it, RedOctane spokesperson Bryan Lam said it had developed its own wireless solution so it could launch in time, because currently Bluetooth only works on Sixaxis controllers and Sony headsets - first-party hardware."

    Utter bulll...

  • Beano #27 4 years ago

    "More importantly, GH3 not out for a whole MONTH after the US release? Bah! "

    I agree - that's far worse than a USB dongle... I want my GH-fix now! ;)

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #28 4 years ago

    Errrr... I'm sorry guys.

    No doubt about it then, it's bullshit on the guy's part.
    If they take issue with licensing costs, just admit it instead of lying about BT support.

    Actually it was my error there; the spokesperson told 1UP that the Bluetooth tools only cater for the Sixaxis controller.

    Sorry *blush*

  • NewbieZilla #29 4 years ago

    "Actually it was my error there; the spokesperson told 1UP that the Bluetooth tools only cater for the Sixaxis controller.

    Sorry *blush*"

    Spokespersonlol.

  • kangarootoo #30 4 years ago

    BAN THIS SLIGHTLY INACCURATE FILTH!

  • Wobble #31 4 years ago

    ps3lol

  • thedaveeyres #32 4 years ago

    Is this living?

  • sanctusmortis #33 4 years ago

    Headsets use a standard profile/signal, though, to ensure compatability with all handsets/dongles/etc. I imagine controllers are very different.

    It is still a TAD inaccurate, though, EG.

  • Steroyd #34 4 years ago

    So RockBand has wireless Guitars because...

    I mean EG says so in the exact same article....

  • Kenshin001 #35 4 years ago

    "Actually it was my error there; the spokesperson told 1UP that the Bluetooth tools only cater for the Sixaxis controller."

    What is that supposed to mean? You made shit up?

  • Caimbeul #36 4 years ago

    yay, that should push the cost up!

  • JayeM #37 4 years ago

    Logitech released a wireless controller for the PS3, it had it's own dongle too.

  • NewbieZilla #38 4 years ago

    "PS3 hating is such a fad that it makes me puke. You sheep."

    Its cool, i've been doing it since the PS1.

  • drumm23 #39 4 years ago

    yeah the "sheep" are the haters..... maybe in sheep-land.

  • deaner #40 4 years ago

    Software devs in lazy hardware dev shocker!

  • Kryon #41 4 years ago

    Hate? I love Sony and the PS3, best fucking clown show I've ever seen XD

  • urban #42 4 years ago

    sounds like they're just a bit shit tbh.

  • Machiavellian #43 4 years ago

    Yeah, I am sure everyone is Lazy and Sony is the total opposite. Could it possibly be that this problem stems from Sony and not the Devs. Most of you would do anything to cut Sony a break when most times this Generation they haven't deserved it. How many Wireless Bluetooth gamepads, arcade sticks or anything do you see for the PS3. This pretty much sounds like the same situation with the 360 but at least you get a dongle for wireless play.

  • Vandrius #44 4 years ago

    Pretty sure PS3's do accept most bluetooth connections - headsets (definitely), keyboards etc...

    This sounds like:
    A) Harmonix being cheap a$$es.
    B) ... refer to A.


    P.S. Machiavellian: Go put your head in a plastic fart-bag and keep it there for a year.

  • Lemming81 #45 4 years ago

    "Hate? I love Sony and the PS3, best fucking clown show I've ever seen XD"

    QFE

  • smelly #46 4 years ago

    this sounds expensive

  • m0thr4 #47 4 years ago

    Microsoft will also not have to fart around with dongles, as it has a receiver built in to the Xbox 360.

    Yeah... but it's not a Bluetooth receiver though, is it?