Mobile game controllers are seemingly becoming all the more important as we head into a world of AAA-playable games on the iPhone, game-streaming services like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and simply better mobile-accessible games like Fortnite that can leverage controllers for easier and better gameplay. But, at this point, there are quite a few mobile controllers out there. Some are designed for a bulkier and more console-like feel, while others are built with interesting new features. The Backbone One, however, predates the majority of them, and despite having access to many of the mainstream mobile controllers out there, it’s the one that still lives in my backpack when I travel.
There are actually a few reasons for this, and some aspects are more important than others. Sure, the Backbone One doesn’t feel like my PS5’s controllers, nor is it as advanced as the Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra controller I’ve been using with my Xbox. But what it does do is strike the perfect balance between portability, tactility, and added features.
Backbone One
| Pros | Cons |
| Compact and portable. Great feel. Works with phones with a case. Has a USB-C port and headphone jack. | Some features hidden behind subscription. A little pricey. |
Backbone One Specs:
- Dimensions: 3.7 inches high x 6.94 inches long x 1.28 inches deep.
- Weight: 4.87oz.
- Ports: USB-C, headphone jack.
- Price: $99.99.
A Compact And Portable Design
The Backbone One is actually available in a few different designs, and while I prefer the classic black design with ABXY buttons, I still really like the PlayStation model, too. The only real difference, of course, is the paint job — the standard model is all black with white print on the buttons, while the PlayStation model is off-white with black joysticks and PlayStation Triangle, Circle, Cross, and Square buttons.
Regardless, both models offer the same build and overall functionality. The entire controller is spring-loaded, and can be expanded to fit your phone’s shape. To fit it on your phone, you’ll expand it, slot the USB-C connector into your phone, and then let it contract to hold your phone in place.
One of my absolute favorite things about the controller, however, is how well it can fit phones with a case. The controller comes with a number of different attachments to change how the inside of the controller fits around your phone, and the result is that it can perfectly fit thinner objects, like a phone with no case, or thicker phones with a case, and no matter what, the USB-C connector should fit into the device perfectly fine.
Recently, I’ve been using the Backbone One with an iPhone 16 Pro with a case, but before that I used it with an iPhone 15 Pro Max with a case, too. It’s easy to remove and replace the little bumpers to best fit your device, and once you do so, you can leave them in — over a few years of use, they haven’t fallen out of the case on their own.
I also love how slim the controller is. That’s kind of the point of a mobile controller in the first place — there’s nothing stopping you from using a full size controller, connected through Bluetooth, with your phone. The Backbone One has slotted in between laptops, headphones, and tablets on many a long-haul flight, and it’s always easy to find a spot for it. Notably, it’s slimmer than the Razer Kishi V2 or Kishi Ultra controllers, though the Kishi Ultra can compress its two sides together more.
Apart from the USB-C connector that connects the controller to your phone, the controller has a standard USB-C port that allows you to charge your phone while you’re gaming. It also has a 3.5mm headphone jack that you can use for wired listening. In other words, using up your phone’s USB-C port doesn’t mean you can’t charge it or use wired headphones at the same time. These are handy features.
All this put together makes for a solid, well-built design. You can even get a carry case for it, though that costs extra.
Solid-Feeling For A Compact Controller
Given the ultra-portable build of the Backbone One controller, you might assume that the buttons and controls are subpar in terms of feel, but that’s actually not quite the case. To be fair, the buttons and joysticks aren’t as premium-feeling as a controller like the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller, but they still feel quite solid and easily good enough to not be distracting while gaming on the go.
For the most part, the buttons still feel clicky and responsive, and the joysticks are decently responsive, too. The controller has pressure-sensitive triggers on the back, which ensures you can access different controls depending on how hard you squeeze.
It is missing some things in terms of feel, though. For example, there is no haptic feedback, and if you’re used to playing on a PS5, you’ll need to adjust to not feeling haptics during gameplay — a big feature offered by DualSense controllers.
Generally, you’ll need to keep in mind that the Backbone One is built for portability and not necessarily to be the most high-tech controller you can get. Some sacrifices will need to be made to achieve that smaller form factor, which is to be expected. But, if you’re willing to make those trade-offs, you’ll find that the Backbone One still feels relatively ergonomic and responsive.
Great Software That You Don’t Really Need
Backbone not only wants to provide a controller for portable use, it wants to provide a software experience that can act as the hub for your mobile gaming experience. The Backbone app, in general, is decently well-designed and easy to navigate, though if you’re anything like me, you’ll mostly use it to tweak the settings for your controller. Through the app, you’ll be able to see an overview of the recent games you’ve played, so you can quickly jump into one to keep playing.
The app supports a range of ecosystems, too: You can connect your Xbox and Steam accounts, and it’ll pull from games installed on your device, along with other apps for gaming, like PS Remote Play. The app also lets you connect your Twitch account and interact with friends who have Backbone controllers. Of course, you can also access settings for your controller, including button mapping and calibrating the controller.
While the app is indeed very well designed, I didn’t end up using it much, and I suspect many will feel similarly. That said, if you do use it, you’ll find it to be a solid hub for your mobile gaming needs, even if it doesn’t necessarily support every single cloud gaming platform.
Cloud gaming is perhaps one of the best use cases for this controller. I used it quite a lot with PS Remote Play and found that it performed very well, even if, as noted, the controller didn’t feel as premium as the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller. I also used it to play games on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and a range of local mobile games, including Death Stranding on iOS. It worked excellently in all of these scenarios, even if the ABXY buttons on my standard edition controller weren’t labeled properly for PlayStation games when using PS Remote Play.
Like seemingly every other company these days, Backbone also has a subscription plan called Backbone+. Through Backbone+, you can get discounts on services and games, but you can also get some additional hardware features, like access to a feature that lets you use your controller to play games on a laptop, or tablet through a wired connection. This feature works well, but there’s no real reason why it should be included as part of the subscription. It seems like a hardware feature that’s simply locked to encourage new subscribers, and I think Backbone should focus on actually adding value to its software, instead of forcing customers to pay for a feature that should be accessible for any user.
Backbone One
Verdict
The Backbone One combines a portable build quality with a solid feel for what I think is the best mobile controller you can get today. No, it doesn’t necessarily feel exactly like a larger console controller, but that’s kind of the point. It’s compact and easy to carry around, and it’s earned a permanent place in my backpack for whenever I’m out and about. Most users won’t need the Backbone Plus subscription, as the controller still works perfectly fine without it, and features like the Gaming Hub aren’t really core to the experience of using the controller. If you’re looking for a great mobile controller that you can use with your phone case and that supports a range of apps and services, the Backbone One is worth considering.
