New VR game Unplugged lets you play guitar without an actual guitar using hand-tracking technology

Fancy yourself as something of an air guitar aficionado? Well, virtual reality studio Anotherway is about to give you the opportunity to put your chops to the test in its upcoming guitar-based game, Unplugged: Air Guitar.

Originally announced in December, this week’s E3 gaming event further shed some light on the project, with a new track reveal trailer giving eager air guitarists an in-depth look at the forthcoming game.

Bearing a resemblance to Guitar Hero and Rock Band, Unplugged: Air Guitar aims to bring the guitar-playing experience to the masses without the need of an actual instrument. All you need is a VR headset, your hands, and your expert air shredding skills.

Ditching physical controllers in favor of hand-tracking technology, the game maps the movements of your fingers in relation to the imaginary guitar and lets you blaze through your favorite tunes using nothing but your hands.

Thanks to the power of virtual reality, your in-game collection of electric guitars and guitar amps can be a real force to be reckoned with, with Explorer, Les Paul, and Strat-style six-strings all available within the game. A collection of Orange amps are also set to make an appearance.

Unplugged - The Offspring Track Reveal Trailer! - YouTube

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Ricardo Acosta, co-founder of Anotherway, said, “Unplugged is a VR music game that allows you to play air guitar and feel like a rockstar using hand-tracking technology.

“It is really amazing to think about this last year because at the beginning we were thinking really small. We have bands in the soundtrack that we’ve always loved, like The Offspring.”

Unplugged’s producer Marcus Henderson, who was also the lead guitarist on the Guitar Hero games, added, “Strap on your headset and get yourself on stage. You’ll be able to pick from your choice of guitars and amps to help you power yourself through this incredible rock journey that is waiting for you.”

The game’s new trailer treated eager fans to a teasing glimpse of some gameplay, with the virtual air shredder racing through the colorful notation assigned to The Offspring’s The Kids Aren’t Alright.

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Acosta continued, “We’ve made huge progress on the gameplay over the last few months. Now we have several different modes, power-ups, mini-games, crowd interaction and much more.

“We have famous music, an amazing team and we are putting all our hearts into the game so we can create a real love-letter to rock.”

Unplugged: Air Guitar will be released this fall on Oculus Quest and Steam VR headsets with correct hand-tracking capabilities.

To find out more, head over to Unplugged: Air Guitar.