A new Guitar Hero controller will release for the Wii this year

A brand new Guitar Hero controller will be released for the Wii in the year 2025.

The Hyper Strummer controller comes courtesy of peripheral maker Hyperkin and is an updated model of its previous Wii Guitar.

It’s powered by popping a Wii Remote in the back, is compatible with both Guitar Hero and Rock Band games (except Rock Band 1), and is available to pre-order now.

It’s certainly a remarkable release for the year, considering Guitar Hero 3 was first released on the Wii back in 2009. Is anyone really still playing it?

Initially, it was unclear what exactly had been improved from the previous model. Indeed, many responses to Hyperkin’s announcement accuse the company of simply repackaging old stock.

Hyperkin followed up the next day to refute those claims.

“The new Hyper Strummer was developed to meet the demand for an accessible and budget-friendly solution, perfect for retro gamers who want to enter the guitar scene in 2025 at an affordable price,” it said in a statement.

“While it is correct that this is the same shell mold of a previous Hyperkin release from 2009, that is all it is. We used the mold to make brand new shells, fitted with new 2024 internal components. This is not old stock, nor is it old guitars that have been sitting in a warehouse.”

Hyperkin specialises in retro gaming hardware, including last year’s Mega Retron HD console that’s compatible with Mega Drive games.

Earlier this week, the company announced a new controller based on the PlayStation 5 DualSense design that’s compatible with Xbox consoles and PC.