Twenty years ago people learned to shred on a plastic guitar in Guitar Hero. Many of the guitar parts they played were recorded by one guitarist, Marcus Henderson. Now he and the team at Echo Foundry Interactive have made a new rhythm game. Sound System comes to Steam Early Access on 4 November 2026.
Bring the guitar you already have
Sound System works with the guitar controllers people already own. A normal controller and a keyboard work too.
Play guitar or bass, or take the vocals. Hit the notes to build combos and multipliers. Use the whammy bar when the solo needs it.
Easy to start, hard to master
Anyone can pick up the guitar and play. There are four difficulty levels from Easy to Legendary.
Classic mode has no fail. Your friend who never played still gets to the end of the song. Pro mode is for the ones who think they are good. It only lets you miss so many notes.
Three on the sofa
Up to three players can play on the same PC with split screen. Play together as a band or go head to head and settle who is the real guitar hero of the house.
"We are hoping that Sound System will bring families together again as they did 20 years ago," says Lennon Lange, co-founder of Echo Foundry Interactive.
Make your own charts
PulseMap is the chart editor inside the game. Make your own note charts for the songs. PulseMap uses the same .chart format as Clone Hero. You can also change the backgrounds and the video that plays behind the band.
What comes during Early Access
Early Access is planned to last about six months. Next, the studio opens music uploads, so you can play your own music collection. Online multiplayer for up to three players comes with the full release. The Early Access price is lower than the full price. The price goes up as new content comes in.
Sound System in short
- Steam Early Access on 4 November 2026
- Guitar, bass and vocals
- Works with guitar controllers you already own, a normal controller, and a keyboard
- Up to 3 players on one PC, co-op or head-to-head
- Four difficulty levels, Classic mode with no fail and Pro mode
- PulseMap chart editor
- About six months in Early Access
- Online multiplayer comes with the full release