Rocksmith 2014 was released to generally positive reviews from critics who praised the game's improvements over its predecessor.

[7] Rocksmith 2014 recommends the use of the "Hercules" adapter, a USB cable that connects to the standard 1⁄4 in (6.35 mm) output jack of most electric and bass guitars.

[9] Rocksmith 2014 is intended to be more of a teaching tool than the original game, featuring more than 85 lessons covering bends, accents, slides, and more.

[11] On why the publisher chose the name Rocksmith 2014 as opposed to Rocksmith 2, senior vice president of sales and marketing Tony Key explained it was to encourage those who had not played the first game yet to buy and play the second one, without needing to invest in a previous installment of the franchise.

[12] On August 26, 2016, Ubisoft announced Rocksmith 2014 Edition — Remastered, an updated version of the game to be released on October 4, 2016.

The new version includes "a customizable learning curve, expanded practice tools, stat tracking, improved menus and more".

[13] On December 13, 2016, Ubisoft released an additional patch for Rocksmith 2014 Edition — Remastered, which added two new capabilities that removed the requirement for the Real-Tone Cable.

In April 2020, it was announced that Rocksmith 2014 would receive no further DLC after the Opeth song pack, as focus was shifting to a new project.

[24] Lee Cooper of Hardcore Gamer praised the game and its general improvement over 2011's Rocksmith, saying, "Every facet of gameplay has been given a nice thick coat of improvement in Rocksmith 2014, issues that the original title was known for have either been removed entirely, or overhauled beyond recognition.