'Rock Band 4' Release Date This Year: Xbox One, PS4 Game Will Run At 1080p

Music simulation game “Rock Band 4” will run at 1080p/60fps when it reaches the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 later this year, according to product manager at Harmonix Eric Pope.

Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Harmonix announced the title on March 5, even though players haven’t seen a main installment in the series for five years.

Pope said the company "built a brand new engine for ‘Rock Band 4’ to make the most of the new hardware. It's going to look 'next-gen' with more realistic lighting, character models, and animation."

"It'll be 1080p and will run at 60fps," Pope told MCV on Thursday. "I know there's a vocal group of players that want to hear that. But what to me is more exciting is the online infrastructure of the consoles. It will open a of opportunities for us to support the game in more reactive, timely ways."

“Rock Band 4” will be the latest main installment in the franchise since 2010’s “Rock Band 3.” There are a dozen games in the series, including “The Beatles: Rock Band” and “Green Day: Rock Band.” There are seven “Rock Band” track packs available.

Harmonix hasn’t revealed when the game will reach the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, though it’s rumored for late 2015. The company hasn’t confirmed any of the songs that will be featured in the game, but the studio is working to ensure that most of its existing library of downloadable songs will be compatible with “Rock Band 4,” except for disc exports from “Rock Band” and “Rock Band 2.”