As Oculus prepares for the OC3 conference next week, where we expected to learn all there is to know about the upcoming Touch motion controllers, an interesting detail about what you get with the package slipped through the cracks: There's a Rock Band VR mounting accessory, and what's more, your old Rock Band gear will work the new game.
Currently, we know that Touch offers 6DoF tracking, haptic feedback, finger sensing buttons, and includes a second IR tracking camera. We don’t know how much the controllers' cost (although, a recent leak suggests something in the $200+ range) and until today, we didn’t know they include the accessory that you need to play Rock Band VR.
The Verge’s Adi Roberts had the chance to try the game out, and in her report, she noted that Oculus includes the mounting accessory needed to attach your Touch controllers to a Rock Band guitar. We reached out to Harmonix to confirm the claim, and Dan Walsh, the company’s PR manager, confirmed to our surprise that the Rock Band VR connector comes bundled with the Touch controllers. Walsh also informed us that Rock Band VR supports existing Rock Band guitars. That is, if you already have one, you won’t need to buy another one.
The news of the adapter coming with Touch and the fact that older Rock Band peripherals will work with Rock Band VR brings a sigh of relief. Virtual reality is already prohibitively expensive to get into as it is. We don’t need additional peripherals adding to the cost. Rock Band was immensely popular just a few short years ago, and many people have old guitars collecting dust in the closet. Oculus is wise to capitalize on that fact. If you have a Rock Band guitar already, Oculus is giving you a reason to pull it out and dust it off, without having to spend money on extra gear just for that game.
