Boss RV-200

The Boss RV-200 is a compact digital reverb pedal in Boss's 200 series, released in 2023. It carries twelve reverb types plus a dedicated delay mode, 127 user memories, stereo I/O and MIDI into the streamlined 200-series enclosure, and Boss positions it as premium reverb processing in a pedalboard-friendly size¹²³. It is best understood as a shrunken version of the Boss RV-500: Guitar World's reviewer notes it is mostly composed of the same 2017 algorithms that featured in the RV-500⁴.

Twelve reverb types and a delay mode

The RV-200's twelve reverb types cover everything from subtle spatial color to complex, dreamy textures for ambient playing, and a thirteenth mode, +Delay, combines reverb with delay, with the length of both effects controlled by the Time knob and the delay level set by the Param knob¹⁹³. Gearnews reported at launch that the pedal contains 12 reverb types including the new Arpverb algorithm, plus favorites like Shimmer and Slowverb⁵.

Most of these types are not new. Guitar Pedal X's Stefan Karlsson noted at launch that nearly all of them already existed on either the RV-6 or the RV-500 in some guise: Room, Hall, Plate, Spring and Shimmer appear on both, Slowverb and Lo-Fi come from the RV-500, Gate and Reverse from the RV-500's non-linear modes, and Modulate and +Delay from the RV-6⁸. The one genuinely new type is Arpverb.

¹¹⁰⁹

ArpVerb

ArpVerb is the RV-200's headline new algorithm. Boss describes it as "a newly developed BOSS reverb that creates an arpeggio type of sound with evocative pitch-shifted tails"¹. In practice the reverb tail breaks into pitched, arpeggiated movement rather than a smooth wash, and the Param knob adjusts the attack of that arpeggio sound¹. Karlsson called it "one really cool entirely new one" among the twelve types⁸.

Controls, memories and footswitches

The pedal has two assignable footswitches and 127 user memories for storing sounds¹. The footswitches can be reassigned to targets such as bypass, memory scrolling, Hold, Warp, Twist and Fade, so a player can put performance effects like Warp, Twist and Fade underfoot rather than reaching for knobs mid-phrase¹⁰. External control of many different parameter targets is also possible via footswitches or an expression pedal¹¹.

Power, connections and MIDI

Power comes from three AA batteries or an optional AC adaptor¹, which is unusual for a pedal this capable. Guitar Pedal X lists the power requirement as 9V DC with a 260mA current draw⁸, a draw high enough that battery life will be short and a daisy chain with other digital pedals may struggle. Connections include 2x inputs, 2x outputs, Ctrl 1/2/Expression TRS jack, power, MIDI in/out mini-jacks and USB micro B⁴.

MIDI I/O is provided on space-saving mini TRS jacks. You can chain multiple 200-series pedals and select memories on all of them at once, and the RV-200 can be controlled from external MIDI controllers and devices like the Boss ES-8 and ES-5¹. The stereo I/O includes wet/dry and dry mute output options for rigs that keep the dry signal separate¹.

The RV-200 and the RV-500

The RV-500, released in 2017, is the larger sibling: it offers 12 modes with 21 reverb types, all featuring deep editing parameters and an independent digital delay with modulation¹²⁴. The RV-200 trims that to twelve reverb types and one combined reverb-plus-delay mode, but keeps the 127 memories, stereo I/O and MIDI, in a box Guitar World measures at 63 (h) x 101 (w) x 138mm (d)⁴¹ and Guitar Pedal X lists at 610g³¹⁴. Delicious Audio's Paolo De Gregorio called the RV-200 "the much-anticipated shrunken version of the RV-500"¹³.

Firmware updates

The RV-200's system program is updated over its USB micro B connection. When the message "ok" appears on the display, the update has finished. On the first startup after updating, "PrC" may be displayed, and the power must not be turned off while it is shown¹⁴.

To start the update process, hold down the [ MEMORY ] button and insert a plug into the INPUT A jack¹⁴. Then follow these steps:

1. Download and extract the rv200_sys_v103.zip file.
2. Hold down the Time knob and insert a plug into the INPUT A jack to power on in update mode, which shows "UPd" on the display.
3. Run Boss's UpdSMF software (available for Windows and macOS) on the computer and send the update file over USB.
4. Wait for "ok" to appear on the display. If "PrC" shows on the first startup after updating, do not turn the power off while it is displayed.

What reviewers said

Guitar World's Mike Astley-Brown, reviewing the pedal in 2026, put its character in context: "Spring modes have never been Boss's strength, yet its modulated reverbs are among the best in the business"⁴. Since the RV-200 shares its algorithms with the RV-500, he found the story carried over directly⁴.

MusicRadar's reviewer called it "a space-conscious verb monster with way more sounds than you'll ever need - with the added bonus of Boss's bomb-proof reliability"¹⁵. Another reviewer, writing at launch, described it as "another perfectly executed workstation pedal" with everything it needs and some cool innovative added features like the Density control⁷. The same reviewer noted that "Spring modes have never been Boss's strength, yet its modulated reverbs are among the best in the business"⁴.

On price, sources differ over time: Guitar Pedal X reported $297 at launch in November 2023⁷⁶¹⁵, while Guitar World and MusicRadar list $269 in 2026¹⁵⁶.

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