Linux 7.0 Adds Rock Band 4 Guitar Support and Laptop Quirk Fixes

The Linux 7.0 kernel merge window has officially closed with several notable additions to the Human Interface Device (HID) subsystem. Among the most interesting changes are support for Rock Band 4 guitars designed for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles, along with various laptop quirk fixes that should improve the experience for many users.

Rock Band 4 Guitar Support

One of the more unexpected but welcome additions to Linux 7.0 is official support for Rock Band 4 guitars. The patches, which began appearing at the start of the year, add support for the PDP RiffMaster and CRKD Gibson SG guitars in both their PS4 and PS5 modes.

These additions come through enhancements to the Sony HID driver, which now recognizes the specific device IDs for these peripherals. The support includes both the guitars themselves and their corresponding dongles, with specific device IDs added for the CRKD Gibson SG dongle.

This means Linux gamers can now use their existing Rock Band 4 guitars without needing to rely on third-party drivers or workarounds. The integration is seamless, with the guitars appearing as standard HID devices once connected.

Laptop Quirk Fixes

Beyond gaming peripherals, Linux 7.0 addresses several long-standing issues with laptop hardware, particularly focusing on ASUS devices.

ASUS Laptop Improvements

The kernel now includes fixes for Fn lock and WMI fan control handling on various ASUS laptops. This affects numerous ROG (Republic of Gamers) models as well as the ProArt P16. These fixes should resolve common issues where function keys would behave unexpectedly or where fan control through the OS would not work properly.

Additional HID Changes

Several other HID-related improvements made it into Linux 7.0:

• Intel ISH HID sensor hub driver: New firmware handling capabilities have been added, improving support for Intel's Integrated Sensor Hub devices
• ELECOM HUGE Plus M-HT1MRBK: This gaming mouse now has official support in the kernel
• eGalaxTouch EXC3188: Multi-touch support has been added for this touchscreen controller
• RAPOO 0x2015 mouse: Support for the side buttons on this mouse has been implemented
• Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Multi-touch quirks have been added to improve the touchscreen experience on this unique 2-in-1 device

Technical Details

The HID changes were merged through a pull request that consolidated all these improvements. The Rock Band guitar support specifically required adding new device IDs to the Sony HID driver, which handles PlayStation peripherals connected via USB.

For the laptop quirks, the changes involved updating various HID quirks tables and adding new WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) handlers for ASUS devices. These low-level changes ensure that the kernel can properly interpret signals from these devices and provide the expected functionality to userspace applications.

Impact for Users

These changes in Linux 7.0 demonstrate the kernel's continued evolution to support both gaming peripherals and the increasingly complex hardware found in modern laptops. For Rock Band enthusiasts, the addition of official guitar support removes a barrier to using these peripherals on Linux systems. For laptop users, particularly those with ASUS devices, the quirk fixes should result in more reliable function key behavior and better thermal management.

The breadth of HID improvements in this release also shows the kernel's commitment to supporting a wide range of input devices, from gaming controllers to precision mice and touchscreens. As hardware continues to evolve, these kinds of updates ensure that Linux remains a viable platform for both gaming and professional use cases.

Linux 7.0 is expected to be released in the coming months, after the merge window closes and the kernel undergoes stabilization and testing.