Today, the third-party guitar controller market looks to be making something of a resurgence. Though manufacturers are still disinclined to release anything for the Xbox 360 because wired controllers simply don't sell, guitars for the PS3 and Wii are finally arriving as cheaper alternatives to the official releases. Not long ago we were the first to review Nyko's Frontman guitar controller for the Wii, and though we think it should be sold for somewhat less because it lacks its own electronics, we deemed it the highest quality third-party guitar we've yet tested. Today we're the first to get our hands on Nyko's Frontman release for the PlayStation 3. Is this Frontman model an equally solid release? Let's find out.
The $59.99 Frontman for the PS3 undercuts the official $69.99 Red Octane GH III guitar by $10, which isn't quite as large a price-break as we were hoping for considering the third-party vs. first-party issues at play. That's not to say that the Frontman feels like a 'cheap' peripheral, as Nyko's skills in crafting increasingly high-quality accessories is certainly apparent in the PS3 Frontman just as it was in the Wii version. Both are notably superior to other third-party guitars like those made by TAC and React.
The Frontman PS3 also sport some nice features, like the ability to work with both Guitar Hero III and Rock Band by means of a switch on the USB wireless adapter that ships with the guitar. The Frontman is powered by three AA batteries which Nyko rates for 80-hours of use, and if eco-conscious gamers choose to use rechargeable batteries, the Frontman can re-juice them in-situ when connected to the PS3 via a USB cable, which is provided. There's also a port on the Frontman for future peripherals like effects pedals, but as of yet, there's no word from the game developers or Nyko as to when such extras might be released.
In hand, the Frontman PS3 isn't terribly different than the Red Octane guitar. The Explorer body shape is a bit more radical looking than the classic Gibson style of the Red Octane version, and the Frontman also weighs slightly less. The contrasting pick-guard on the Frontman is removable, and Nyko includes a pair of plates: black and pink in the case of our white-body Frontman.
Like proper musicians, avid GH / RB players care a lot about the feel of their instruments, and in gaming terms, that means button response. The Frontman PS3's fret buttons are spaced exactly as those on the official guitar, which is important for players who learn difficult solo sections by rote and could potentially be thrown off by different spacing. The Frontman's fret buttons do have a somewhat different feel than those of the Red Octane guitar due to their slightly deeper throw distance and slightly softer resistance. They aren't overly loose or wobbly like some lower-quality guitar controller alternatives, but they also aren't quite as firm and solid feeling as the official guitar. Though the Frontman's frets are entirely usable, a play test around the office concluded with a unanimous preference for the official guitar's fret buttons, which, we think, was to be expected due to longstanding first-party vs. third-party concerns.
The Frontman's strummer and whammy bar both feel exceedingly similar to the first-party guitar, which is good. Star Power sensitivity was also equivalent to that of the Red Octane guitar. The Frontman PS3 features a pickup selector for use in Rock Band, and in our testing it performed just as it should. Nyko also includes a digital D-pad on the guitar for menu selections, but omitted a dedicated Home button like the official GH guitar.
Conclusion
Nyko's Frontman for the PlayStation 3 is a quality guitar controller that's significantly better than the mass of its third-party competition. Unfortunately, it's not quite up to par with Red Octane's official release in terms of the particular feel of its fret buttons. To some gamers this may be a non-issue, in which case we can't find much complaint with the Frontman. For more sensitive players however, the Frontman's relatively minor $10 discount from the price of the official GH III guitar isn't really enough to justify shifting to a third-party release.