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It’s a scientific fact that music controllers can make any game better, and Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival might just be the best example. While it was released back in 2022 on Switch, the drum-based rhythm game is making its debut on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PS5 on November 7 for $50. The Setlist Edition comes with extra song collections and costs $80.
Rhythm Festival is colorful blast of fun where you march to the beat of a classic taiko drum. The game features 76 songs from across a wide variety of music–anime, video game tracks, pop tunes, and much more–and the visual design makes it look like an adorable anime with an incredible amount of energy. Speaking of adorable, Banpresto is releasing a 27.6-inch Don Wada Jumbo Plush in January, and you can preorder it now for $27.
Where things get cool is with the officially licensed PlayStation and Xbox Taiko Drum Controllers from Hori that’ll launch alongside the game. Priced at $100, it’s a stylish piece of engineering that comes with two taiko drumsticks featuring a Taiko no Tatsujin-themed design. Based on the popular arcade version, the drum controller is equipped with a pressure sensitive pad that covers the face and rim, and it can accurately detect the location of each tap. It also features convenient onboard buttons to navigate through the menu and select songs, but you can also tap the drum to scroll through the options.
Will a creative streamer use the drum controller to beat Elden Ring? Probably.
If this sounds cool but you want to drum now, you can pick up the official Nintendo Switch drum controller and a physical copy of Rhythm Festival for $95 total at Amazon.
Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival (Switch) — $27 at Amazon ($50 on eShop)Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival Drum Controller (Switch) — $68.58 ($70)Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival Drum Controller (PC and PS5) | November 7 — $100Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival Drum Controller (Xbox Series X|S and PC) | November 7 — $100 – Not available yet
A really nice extra touch here are the details on the drum stand and the drumsticks. They’ve got decorations of the Taiko game characters all over them, giving the controller a surprisingly elegant and cartoonish design. It’s cute and sophisticated stuff.
There’ll be two versions available, as you can choose between an Xbox-compatible drum or one that works on both PC and PS5. The controllers are officially licensed by Bandai Namco and PlayStation/Xbox.
The Nintendo Switch’s officially licensed drum controller, which released last year, doesn’t have the the cool artwork on the stand, but the overall look and button layout of the drum itself is very similar. You can actually save roughly $50 if you opt for the Switch version of Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival, as the physical version is on sale for $27 (digital is $50) and the drum controller has a $70 list price.
Though it won’t be available
