Guitar Hero is not officially available on PS5

You cannot buy or read Guitar Hero on PlayStation 5 through the PlayStation Store. The series stopped receiving new releases after 2015, and Sony has not made the older games backward compatible with PS5. If you own a physical copy of a Guitar Hero game from the PS3 or PS4 era, it will not play on PS5.

The licensing agreements that allowed Guitar Hero to exist have largely expired. The music rights for the original songs in those games were expensive and temporary, which is why the games were delisted from digital stores years ago. Without those rights renewed, PlayStation cannot sell or distribute them legally.

Key Takeaways

  • Guitar Hero games are not playable on PS5 because they are not backward compatible and are no longer sold digitally.
  • PS4 versions of Guitar Hero are not compatible with PS5, even if you own the disc.
  • You can play rhythm games on PS5 through other titles like Rock Band 4 or newer alternatives such as Clone Hero on PC.
  • If you want to play the original Guitar Hero games, you will need to use the original console they were released for: PS2, PS3, or PS4.
  • Some Guitar Hero controllers may work with other rhythm games on PS5, but compatibility depends on the specific controller model and game.

Why Guitar Hero games disappeared from PlayStation

The Guitar Hero franchise relied on licensed music from real artists. Each song in the game required a separate licensing deal, and those deals had expiration dates. When Activision (the publisher) decided to stop supporting the series, they let those licenses expire rather than renew them. Once a license expires, the game cannot legally be sold or distributed.

This is why you cannot find Guitar Hero games on the PlayStation Store anymore, even for PS4. The games are not just unavailable on PS5—they are unavailable everywhere digitally. Physical copies still exist, but they only work on the console generation they were made for.

What rhythm games you can play on PS5 instead

Rock Band 4 is the closest alternative and is playable on PS5. It is backward compatible with PS4, so if you own the PS4 version, you can play it on your PS5 console. Rock Band 4 uses a similar controller setup to Guitar Hero and has a large library of songs, though the base game comes with fewer tracks than older Guitar Hero releases.

Beat Saber is available on PS5 and offers a different style of rhythm gameplay using VR motion controllers. It is not a guitar-based game, but it scratches the same itch for timing-based music gameplay.

Clone Hero is a free, fan-made Guitar Hero alternative that runs on PC, Mac, and Linux. It supports original Guitar Hero controllers and has thousands of custom songs created by the community. If you have an old Guitar Hero controller and a PC, this is the most direct way to keep playing guitar-based rhythm games.

Can you use old Guitar Hero controllers on PS5?

Most older Guitar Hero controllers will not connect to PS5 directly. PS5 has strict controller compatibility requirements, and wireless controllers from the PS3 and PS4 era often use proprietary wireless protocols that PS5 does not support.

If you want to use an old controller, your best option is to connect it to a PC and play Clone Hero instead. Some third-party adapters exist that claim to make older controllers work with newer systems, but they are unreliable and not officially supported by Sony or the game publishers.

Rock Band 4 on PS5 does support some legacy controllers, but only specific models. Check the Rock Band 4 manual or the publisher's website to see if your particular controller is listed as compatible before purchasing the game.

Playing Guitar Hero on other platforms

If you want to play the original Guitar Hero games, you will need to keep or buy the console they were released for. Guitar Hero games exist for PS2, PS3, and PS4. A used PS3 or PS4 with physical copies of the games is the most straightforward path if you are determined to play the originals.

The PS2 versions are the oldest and cheapest to find secondhand, but they have smaller song libraries and lower video quality. The PS4 versions are the newest and most polished, but they are harder to find because the series was winding down by that point.

Why PS5 does not have backward compatibility for Guitar Hero

PS5 is backward compatible with most PS4 games, but Guitar Hero is an exception because of the licensing issue. Even though the PS4 hardware could theoretically run the game, Sony cannot legally distribute or support a game whose music licenses have expired. This protects both Sony and the artists whose music was in the game.

Backward compatibility is not automatic—each game has to be tested and approved by the publisher. Since Activision is no longer supporting Guitar Hero and the music licenses are gone, there is no reason for them to do that work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I play my physical PS4 Guitar Hero disc on PS5?

No. PS5 does not have a disc drive that reads PS4 games, and even if it did, the game would not run because the music licenses have expired. Physical discs from PS4 will not work on PS5 under any circumstances.

Is Guitar Hero coming back to PS5?

There is no official announcement of a new Guitar Hero game for PS5. The franchise has been inactive since 2015. A new game would require Activision to relicense thousands of songs, which is expensive and time-consuming. Until that happens, no new Guitar Hero content will appear on PS5.

What if I buy a used copy of Guitar Hero for PS4?

A used PS4 copy will not play on PS5. You would need a PS4 console to play it. Additionally, some used copies may have licensing or account restrictions depending on how they were originally purchased and registered.

Does Rock Band 4 work the same way as Guitar Hero?

Rock Band 4 is very similar to Guitar Hero—it uses a guitar-shaped controller and requires you to hit notes in time with the music. The main differences are the song library, the controller design, and some gameplay mechanics. If you liked Guitar Hero, Rock Band 4 is the closest match on PS5.

Can I transfer my Guitar Hero songs to another game?

No. Each rhythm game has its own song library and file format. You cannot move songs from Guitar Hero to Rock Band or any other game. Your only option is to play whichever game has the songs you want to play.