Rocksmith+, Ubisoft's learn-to-play-guitar game, finally rocks out next week

Remember Rocksmith? Released for consoles in 2011 and PC a year later, it was a lot like Guitar Hero except it used a real guitar, which you'd connect to your PC via a Real Tone USB cable. DLC development for the 2014 edition was finally halted in 2020, but Ubisoft resurrected it a year later as Rocksmith+, and announced today that it's just one week away from release.

Rocksmith+ is very similar to the original game, but different in some significant ways. It's exclusive to PC this time around, and while you can still connect your guitar (you need a guitar, by the way) to your system with the Real Tone cable, you can also skip that part and use the Rocksmith+ Connect mobile app, which tracks your playing by turning your phone into a mic.

The biggest change, though, is that it's subscription-based rather than a standalone purchase, costing $15 per month, $40 for three months, or $100 for a year. That's not cheap, but it includes access to a library of over 5,000 songs across multiple genres. That's a real improvement over the original, which required that songs be purchased as DLC at some pretty steep prices: Individual tracks, such as (to pick a completely random example) the Spinal Tap classic Sex Farm, sell for $3 each.

We've also got some system requirements, which are pretty manageable as these things go.

Minimum:

Processor: Intel Core i5 2400 / AMD FX 4320 or equivalent
Memory: 6 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 560Ti / GTX 650 / GTX 750 / GTX 950 / GTX 1050 or AMD Radeon HD 7850 / R9 270 / R9 370 / RX 460

Recommended:

Processor: Intel Core i5-4690K / AMD FX-8350 or equivalent
Memory: 8GB
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 / GTX 750ti / GTX 960 / GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon R9 280X / R9 380 / RX 470

In either case, you'll also need Windows 10 64-bit and a guitar—electric, acoustic, or bass will all work just fine.

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Rocksmith+ screen — (Image credit: Ubisoft)

The game was originally slated to arrive in 2021, but Ubisoft postponed the launch in September of that year following a closed beta test so it could add more songs to the library (only 500 were available in the beta), improve audio inputs, and tweak the progression and user interface. We'll find out how just how improved it all is in a week: Rocksmith+ is set to go live on September 6 on the Ubisoft Store.

And just think: With dedication and practice, one day this could be you.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.