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CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller review: the best guitar controller currently available

by admin September 8, 2025

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CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller: one-minute review

The CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller is a brand-new guitar controller for use with rhythm games like Fortnite Festival, Rock Band 4, and Clone Hero. CRKD was founded by former Red Octane staff who were responsible for the Guitar Hero series’ controllers, and as such this feels very in line with the peripherals for those games, taking on the best elements of each to make one of the best guitar controllers I’ve ever used.

It comes in two variants, the LP Black Tribal Encore Edition and the LP Blueberry Burst Pro Edition. The Black Tribal edition comes with standard fret buttons and a mechanical click strum bar, with a slightly gaudy tribal design. Meanwhile, the slightly more expensive Blueberry Burst is functionally the same guitar but with mechanical frets, a Hall Effect strum bar with haptic feedback, and a blueberry burst design. If you prefer one set of buttons over another, the necks are interchangeable too.

On top of those two versions, each version has an Xbox edition, which makes it compatible with Rock Band 4. The multi-platform edition does work with Xbox through the KeyJam mode, however, it acts as a keyboard, meaning it is compatible with Fortnite Festival through button mapping but not Rock Band. The multi-platform edition works with Switch, PC, PlayStation 3-5, and Android too.

The guitar itself feels great to hold; it takes on the form of the fan-favorite Gibson Les Paul design that was previously used with Guitar Hero 3, while the strum bar is longer and easier to pinch, like the “Genericaster” design from Guitar Hero: World Tour and Guitar Hero 5 (my personal favorite guitar controller of all time). It lacks the lower fret buttons found on Rock Band guitars and the PDP Riffmaster; however, a separate neck attachment is being released later with this option.

(Image credit: Future)

CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller (Black) at Amazon for $114.99

CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller: price and availability

Prices range between $114.99 / £109.99 / AU$199 and $134.99 / £129.99 / AU$224
Available in the US via the CRKD website
Available in the UK via CRKD, Argos, and Amazon
Available in Australia via JB Hifi

The CRKD Les Paul launched in June 2025, with the Xbox editions set to release in late September. The price is higher based on whether you have the Xbox-compatible edition, with the Blueberry Burst version being more expensive than the Black Tribal one. However, the Blueberry Burst is only $10 / £10 / AU$25 more expensive, while buying the mechanical frets separately is $39.99 / £39.99, so I would personally go with the Blueberry Burst.

While you may be able to get the PDP Riffmaster on sale now, its regular price is more expensive than the Blueberry Burst, with the CRKD being what I feel is the better guitar (however, this more likely comes down to your preference between Guitar Hero and Rock Band-style instruments).

CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller review: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Price

$114.99 / £109.99 / AU$199

Dimensions

9.96 x 29.13 x 1.37in / 253 x 740 x 35mm

Compatibility

Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, Smart TV, PS3, PS4, PS5 (Xbox in Fortnite Festival only)

Connection type

Wired (Type-C), wireless (Bluetooth + 2.4GHz dongle)

Software

CRKD App (iOS, Android)

(Image credit: Future)

CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller review: design and features

Guitar controller designed for rhythm gaming
Based on the iconic Gibson Les Paul Guitar
A dial allowing you to program different profiles

As the name suggests, the CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller is based on the iconic Gibson Les Paul guitar. This design was previously used for the Guitar Hero 3 guitar controller, with this one being roughly the same size.

The two available versions are Black Tribal and Blueberry Burst. Black Tribal is a black plastic base with a glossy black tribal design on top of it. While it’s appropriate, as the mid-2000s was the perfect time for guitar controllers and tacky tribal designs (shoutout to the tribal Game Boy Advance SP), I frankly think this design is ugly. Blueberry Burst, on the other hand is fine looking; the actual blue burst design is nice and akin to its namesake guitar, but it’s a decal that looks a bit low quality at close inspection.

Meanwhile, since the necks are detachable, both are just regular black plastic with small lights up the neck. These will light up in a color corresponding with which fret button you press.

The guitar features a d-pad on the top of the neck and two sticks. One is a little dial that is clicked in as your start button, and while it’s not the end of the world, it can be a little awkward to pause with it. Meanwhile, there’s a tone switch-style stick on the upper half of the guitar, which has a ring of buttons around it, allowing you to access the face and trigger buttons.

Under the strum bar is the whammy bar – which allows you to earn extra points when playing sustained notes – and the CTRL button, which is typically bound to Star Power activation. While not as long as the one found on the Genericaster, it’s placed well so it’s very easy to hit with your wrist and not compromise your strumming.

While not a complete game-changer, the mechanical frets and Hall Effect strum bar found in the Blueberry Burst edition feel fantastic, and given the price isn’t significantly higher, I’d recommend going with that version over the Black Tribal.

(Image credit: Future)

CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller review: Performance

Solid battery life
Works right out the box
Comes with custom profile dial, customisable via the CRKD mobile app

The CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller works straight out of the box with either a USB-C cable connection on PC or via a 2.4GHz dongle (both of which are included with the guitar). You can also use Bluetooth to connect to devices that can’t support a USB option. From my month of testing, only the Blueberry Burst edition has run out of battery with me using it for at least 15-20 hours without charging it out of the box.

There’s a knob that acts as the on switch when pressed and features a dial that allows you to use one of 9 profiles (the first four being preset to default settings and the Fortnite Festival difficulties). These bindings can be changed via the CRKD mobile app, with the Blueberry Burst edition allowing you to alter the level of sensitivity and haptic feedback on the strum bar.

This is essential for Fortnite Festival. While the default mode is usable in the mode, the CTRL button is mapped to the Select button, which opens a menu in Fortnite. You can’t remap this in-game, so you’ll need to turn the dial to number two to make it work in Fortnite’s pro modes.

(Image credit: Future)

Should I buy the CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller review: Also consider

Still not sold on the CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller? Here’s how it compares to the other guitar controllers on the market.

Swipe to scroll horizontallyRow 0 – Cell 0

CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller

PDP Riffmaster

CKRD NEO S Purple Wave 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition

Price

$114.99 / £109.99 / AU$199

$129.99 / £129.99 (around AU$199)

$59.99 / £59.99 / AU$119.95

Dimensions

9.96 x 29.13 x 1.37in / 253 x 740 x 35mm

10.51 x 21.38 x 3.23in / 543 x 267 x 82mm

5.9 x 3.5 x 0.78in / 150 x 88 x 20mm

Compatibility

Multi: Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, Smart TV, PS3, PS4, PS5

Xbox:Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Android, Smart TV, iOS

Xbox: Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC

PlayStation: PS5, PS4, PC

Nintendo Switch, PC, Steam Deck, iOS, Android, Smart TV

Connection type

Wired (Type-C), wireless (Bluetooth + 2.4GHz dongle)

Wireless (2.4GHz dongle), wired (Type-C)

Wireless (Bluetooth), wired (Type-C)

Software

CRKD App (iOS, Android)

PDP Control Hub

CRKD App (iOS, Android)

How I tested the CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller

Tested for around 20-25 hours
Used to play YARG and Fortnite Festival on PC
Used both editions of the guitar

I’ve been using the CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller since I received it in early August 2025 (so around a month). I did play a decent amount of Fortnite Festival (especially when they added the Power Rangers theme song), but I’ve mainly been playing YARG, which is a fan-made recreation of the Rock Band games, allowing you to import custom songs to the game.

I played a variety of songs and genres with it, from the likes of some of my favorite bands, Ween, They Might Be Giants, and Jellyfish, to harder rock bands like Iron Maiden, Mastodon, and Primus. I also played a selection of game soundtracks (mostly Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Guilty Gear Strive) and some outright goofy stuff like Weird Al Yankovic, the South Park movie soundtrack, and the Spider-Man 2 pizza theme.

First reviewed September 2025

‘Very few cryptocurrencies are securities:’ SEC Chair Paul Atkins

by admin August 21, 2025

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins recently clarified that only a very small number of cryptocurrencies qualify as securities.

Summary

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins has clarified that only a very small number of cryptocurrencies qualify as securities.
The approach marks a significant shift from former Chair Gary Gensler’s stricter stance and anti-industry policies.

During his speech at the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium 2025, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins commented on the classification of cryptocurrencies, saying most tokens are not securities.

According to him, whether a cryptocurrency is considered a security depends on how it is “packaged and sold,” rather than its inherent characteristics.

“Just the token itself is not necessarily a security, and probably not,” he said, “There are very few, in my view, tokens that are securities, but it depends on what’s the package around it and how that’s being sold.”

Atkins’ remarks represent a significant shift from the approach adopted by former SEC Chair Gary Gensler, who classified the majority of crypto assets under U.S. securities law. Gensler’s stance led to widespread enforcement actions against the industry, creating a hostile regulatory environment.

Since his appointment in April, Atkins has consistently stressed that the industry deserves regulatory clarity, adopting a more welcoming and non-hostile approach to regulations. His latest remarks also build on broader positive regulatory developments in recent months, including the formation of a new pro-industry initiative called “Project Crypto.”

What is Project Crypto?

Earlier in July, Atkins announced the launch of ‘Project Crypto’ by the SEC. The project aims to create clear rules for crypto distributions, custody, and trading, providing businesses with guidance on token offerings and overall operations.

While final regulations are still being developed, Atkins said the SEC would consider using interpretative, exemptive, and other authorities to ensure that outdated rules do not stifle innovation.

The efforts come as the Trump administration continues to push to maintain the United States’ dominance in global digital asset markets, with a separate Working Group on Digital Assets also calling for a unified framework that promotes innovation. The U.S. House also recently passed three landmark bills relating to the industry, including the GENIUS Act, the first official federal framework for stablecoins.

Atkins added recently that the SEC is also focused on protecting the industry from future challenges such as regulatory overreach or unfair enforcement, highlighting the need for rules that are clear, adaptable, and capable of supporting innovation over the long term.

“We must craft a framework that future proofs the crypto markets against regulatory mischief. I look forward to working with my counterparts across the Administration and Congress to get the job done,” he wrote.

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August 21, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Jake Paul, Gervonta Davis book Nov. 14 boxing match in Atlanta

by admin August 21, 2025

Andreas HaleAug 20, 2025, 12:07 PM ET
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Two of the biggest names in boxing will clash on Nov. 14 when Jake Paul faces Gervonta “Tank” Davis at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, the two sides confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

The contracted weight for the fight and number of rounds has yet to be determined. The fight will be promoted by Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions and streamed live globally on Netflix.

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Talks between both parties have been ongoing since the beginning of the year, and there were initially plans to move forward with the fight after Davis’ WBA lightweight title defense against Lamont Roach Jr. However, those plans were put on hold after Roach and Davis battled to a shocking majority draw in March. Rumors of a rematch taking place in August never came to fruition, and the two sides picked up on their earlier negotiations, finalizing a deal for the fight to happen in November.

“The original timeline assumed that ‘Tank’ would be fighting Jake [Paul] after he fought Roach,” Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian told ESPN. “The outcome didn’t necessarily change anything per se, but our timeline of waiting around to see what Davis was going to do resulted in Jake fighting Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.”

Although initial reports suggested that Paul secured a fight with Davis after discussions for a heavyweight tilt with former unified champion Anthony Joshua fell apart, Bidarian told ESPN that the Joshua fight is still on the table and was never planned to take place in 2025.

Gervonta Davis, left, and Lamont Roach Jr. fought to a majority draw during their March title bout, allowing Davis to maintain his WBA lightweight belt. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

“I think it’s just a matter of hitting ‘Go,'” Bidarian said about the ongoing negotiations for Paul-Joshua in 2026. “Jake is looking at it like he wants to show the world that he’s going to fight David and then he plans to take on Goliath.”

As for the upcoming fight, with such a significant disparity in weight with Paul tipping the scales at 199.4 pounds for his fight with Chavez at cruiserweight and Davis weighing 133.8 pounds when he faced Roach, there are ongoing conversations about what weight the fight will be contested at.

“We’re still figuring that out,” Bidarian said, while not committing to the fight being an exhibition as reported by other outlets. “Jake will definitely have to come down below his 200-pound weight that he’s been fighting at. I can tell you that we’re going to have a fight that will have a definitive outcome, whether by way of knockout or decision.”

The weight disparity draws striking similarities to the exhibition fight between Paul’s older brother, Logan, and Floyd Mayweather in June 2021. Mayweather, who spent much of his career at 147 pounds, weighed in at 155 pounds while Paul weighed 189.5 pounds. No winner was declared in the eight-round exhibition that reportedly sold over 1 million pay-per-view buys and generated over $80 million in revenue.

Paul-Davis will be shown to a much larger audience on Netflix with higher stakes as Paul continues to prove himself as a full-time boxer.

Jake Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) has been campaigning as a cruiserweight and is ranked 14th by the WBA following his one-sided decision over Chavez in June. His plans to be a world champion will be put on hold for a massive cultural event against Davis, whom he has targeted for a fight as early as August 2021 when he revealed a wish list of opponents on social media that included Nate Diaz, Tyron Woodley, Tommy Fury, KSI and Canelo Alvarez.

“Gervonta is an angry little elf who has been disrespecting my name for too long,” Paul said in a statement to ESPN. “His nickname might be Tank, but I’m an FPV drone and I’m about to disable his ass. Yes, he is one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world, but my motto is anyone, anytime, anyplace, against all odds. And I like my odds. First, I am going to kill David, then I will go on to slaughter Goliath, and you are all going watch me do it, breaking viewership records again. Atlanta. Friday, Nov 14th. The worst night of Gervonta’s career, live only on Netflix.”

Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs) is one of the biggest attractions in boxing but has never competed in a weight class higher than 140 pounds. He has fought at lightweight (135 pounds) in his past six fights, dating back to December 2021. His April 2023 fight with Ryan Garcia at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was a massive success at the box office with a reported $1.2 million PPV buys and a gate of $22.8 million, fifth-highest gate in U.S. boxing history. He has been engaging in a war of words with Paul on social media for several years and will look to put an end to their rivalry in November.

Davis, 30, was dealing with legal issues over the summer with a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from an alleged domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend on Father’s Day. Those charges were dropped last week. Davis will resume his boxing career against a former YouTuber who has also become one of the biggest names in boxing.

“This is a fight between the biggest fighters in the world for Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences,” Bidarian said. “It’s really about who is the true face of American boxing and I view it as The Disruptor [Paul] versus The Destroyer [Davis].”

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August 21, 2025 0 comments

Jake and Logan Paul sat on porch talking to camera in white and grey t-shirts

Esports

Jake Paul fights Logan Paul’s wedding cake and the internet is baffled

by admin August 19, 2025

Jake Paul left the internet baffled after ‘fighting’ with Logan Paul and Nina Agdal’s wedding cake during their celebrations in Lake Como.

Influencer weddings have, for the longest time, left the internet skeptical. Jake Paul and Tana Mongeau got ‘married’ back in 2019, and charged fans to be able to watch it. The marriage was never legal, but the ceremony obviously had plenty of hijinks involved.

So, when Logan Paul announced that he and Nina Agdal were to get married, the internet raised a collective eyebrow at it. However, the pair did officially get married during a lavish, multi-million dollar celebration on Lake Como, Italy.

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Naturally, plenty of content creators were invited, including Logan’s brother Jake. And it was the YouTuber-turned-fighter who stole the show after trading punches with the wedding cake. Seriously.

Jake Paul beats up Logan Paul’s wedding cake

After Logan and Nina tied the not, ‘The Maverick’ invited his brother towards the cake where he proceeded to launch ‘Jake vs Cake’ and a barrage of punches at it.

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Logan could be seen hyping Jake up as he delivered the blows, with the pair embracing after the ‘Problem Child’ had thrown enough punches. Yet, the internet wasn’t sold on what had gone on.

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“Oh look Jake Paul spent a lot of money to hit something that doesn’t hit back again,” one fan quipped. “Man… wtf ? Bro literally just fights anything,” another joked. “I kinda wanted a slice tho…,” Jake’s video editor even commented.

The moment will, no doubt, appear on Logan’s post-wedding vlog, and the pair might explain why they decided to beat up a helpless piece of confectionery.

We probably wouldn’t count it as a win on Jake’s boxing record, but some would argue that he has fought worse opponents than a literal cake tower.

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August 19, 2025 0 comments

NFT Gaming

CryptoZoo Suit Fails to Tie Logan Paul to Collapse: Judge

by admin August 19, 2025

YouTuber Logan Paul’s bid to dismiss a proposed class-action lawsuit over his defunct non-fungible token (NFT) project CryptoZoo should be allowed, says a Texas magistrate judge.

Magistrate Judge Ronald Griffin advised an Austin federal court on Thursday that the class group had not sufficiently tied Paul to their claims that they lost money by buying into the CryptoZoo project.

The recommendation could see a federal judge drop the suit unless the class updates it.

The group is made up of CryptoZoo buyers who first sued Paul and others allegedly tied to the project in February 2023, alleging it was a “rug pull” that promised perks which never materialized.

However, Griffin said the class should be allowed to amend all but one of their 27 claims against Paul, but said a claim alleging he committed commodity pool fraud should be permanently dismissed.

“Mental gymnastics” needed for commodity pool fraud claim

Judge Griffin said in his 75-page report that his recommendation to dismiss the lawsuit’s commodity pool fraud claim came as the court “does not follow Plaintiffs’ logic.”

The class argued that CryptoZoo NFTs were an option contract as they started as “eggs” that “hatch” into animals, which then can be bred with others to create hybrid animals that could be traded.

An example of a CryptoZoo NFT hybrid animal that is a cross between an elephant and a shark. Source: CryptoZoo

“In other words, because purchasers buy CZ [CryptoZoo] NFTs unaware of their value until they hatch, and because the CZ NFT animals can be bred with others to create hybrid NFTs, an option contract is thereby formed,” Judge Griffin wrote.

“The mental gymnastics required to come to this conclusion are truly dizzying,” he added. “Plaintiffs do not explain—nor can the Court understand—how their purchases of CZ NFTs create option contracts or contracts for future delivery.”

Other claims fail to tie in Paul

Judge Griffin said that the lawsuit failed to properly connect Paul to the 26 other claims made against him, saying they hadn’t yet shown evidence that he directly and personally benefited from CryptoZoo’s collapse.

The lawsuit brought claims of fraud, unjust enrichment, negligence, breach of contract, fraud conspiracy, aiding and abetting fraud and breaches of consumer law in multiple states, among others.

Judge Griffin said in some cases the complaint gave “only fragments of facts accompanied by vague attributions of conduct to ‘Defendants’” or looked to “jam together two pieces of different puzzles in the vain hope of producing a final, cohesive product.”

“Unfortunately, the caselaw does not support this tactic.”

Paul refunded CryptoZoo buyers

The class group sued Paul and CryptoZoo co-founders Eduardo Ibanez and Jake Greenbaum in 2021, and Paul alleged in January 2024 that the duo conned him, causing CryptoZoo’s collapse, which Judge Griffin urged the court in July to rebuff.

Related: Digital Currency Group sues subsidiaries over $1.1B promissory note

In January 2023, Paul promised to make a plan for CryptoZoo and put aside $2.3 million for refunds for CryptoZoo buyers a year later under the condition that claimants agreed not to sue over the project.

Buyers were refunded 0.1 Ether (ETH), the same amount the CryptoZoo NFTs were originally sold for in 2021.

Magazine: Influencers shilling memecoin scams face severe legal consequences

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August 19, 2025 0 comments