The new drum and guitar controllers for this version, bundled or sold separately, have been revised and older controllers are also supported. The guitar controller, modelled after the Fender Stratocaster, has five additional fret buttons near the neck, for fast fingertapping sessions. There is also an effect switch to toggle between five different effects. Players use the instruments to match notes on the screen, divided in different portions for different instruments, along with the lyrics for the singer who need to match the pitch.
The in-game characters can also be customized and 84 tracks are included on the disc, with many more as downloadable content (not on the PlayStation 2). It is also possible to transfer the songs of the first Rock Band (for a price), and downloadable content as well as the two track packs.