Power Gig plays similarly to other guitar-based games, with a note display divided into five colored lanes corresponding to different frets. The game ships with a 2/3 scale six-string electric guitar, designed to be usable with Power Gig and other games in a similar fashion to a standard guitar controller. The edge of its fretboard contains colored markings corresponding to in-game notes. In the game's basic mode, the player must hold down any string(s) in the colored fret areas that match the displayed note patterns on screen, and then strum the strings in time. In the game's "Power Chord" mode, the colored notes on screen are replaced with colored numbers from 1 to 6, representing which string(s) must be held down in the colored fret area to make a chord, accompanied by strumming. While the guitar can detect every string and fret pressed, the gameplay is only designed to work with basic two-note chord intervals. It is possible to use the guitar controller separately as a standalone electric guitar by removing a dampener that is placed on the strings during game play to keep them from ringing out. Power Gig supports up to three players in a band, consisting of a guitarist, drummer, and vocalist; the game is compatible with guitars and drums that were designed for the Guitar Hero or Rock Band franchises.[1][2][3]
A drum controller known as the "AirStrike" was also developed for the game; unlike other drum controllers, it consists of an array of motion sensors placed on the ground in front of the player to detect the motion of a player's air drumming, rather than using physical drum pads. Seven45 promoted that the controller provided a quieter and "much more real and authentic" experience than other drum controllers with physical pads