Mobile controller company Backbone this week announced the Backbone Pro Controller. This will take the next level of gaming experiences on iOS and Android.
The successor to the Backbone One controller, Pro features a full-size joystick, remapable buttons and Bluetooth compatibility for a more premium gaming setup. Unlike its predecessor, the Backbone Pro does not have to be attached to a mobile phone and work. This means it can be used as a wireless controller. This feature is especially useful when using cloud gaming services such as Xbox Game Pass. You can play the game on your TV using the Backbone Pro Controller, then connect your phone to the controller and pick up where you left off on your phone.
“Our idea is that games should be easier,” founder Manito Kayla told TechCrunch. “When connecting to the screen, it needs to be really simple and work like AirPods.”
Backbone has placed a big bet on the growth of mobile gaming, which is only accelerated by expanding its cloud gaming options, but so far it appears that the backbone has been pinned down as the top hardware maker for mobile gamers. It also helps that the backbone is being attacked by celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, Weekend, Mr. Post Malone and Amy Schumer, as well as game insiders like Discord founder Jason Citron.
However, as someone who doesn’t use Xbox Game Pass or similar cloud subscriptions, I never understood the hype using my smartphone as a gaming device. I already have a Nintendo switch. This is a device specifically made for gaming, in contrast to my iPhone. So, to test the Backbone Pro, I have downloaded games that already play on the Switch to my phone just to compare gameplay experiences.
verdict? Over the past three days, I’ve recorded about 13 hours of gameplay on the iOS version of Stardew Valley. I’m not sold entirely in mobile games – answering text while playing the game is annoying – but I have to say I’m sitting on the sofa with a backbone pro over the Nintendo Switch, which prioritizes screen size over comfort.
Backbone Pro is ergonomic. Sometimes picking up a new iPhone will become familiar, but it takes time to get used to the feel of the new device before it turns off a little and stops the difference from becoming noticeable. This was my experience playing Nintendo Switch 2, as opposed to the original console.
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However, I didn’t even experience a few minutes of discomfort as I felt the design of the Backbone Pro was naturally intuitive. A few seconds after connecting my phone to the USB-C port on my controller for the first time, I was able to play the game Hades with chaos button mashing, just as easy as doing it on the Switch. The Nintendo Switch Pro Controller feels uncomfortable with games like Hades, so it says something.
“Meta does multiple iterations of headsets (prototypes) in a week when we were designing quests, because we can print them and then test them quickly, get feedback and iterate,” Kaila said. He took inspiration from the techniques he developed Backbone Pro and invested heavily in the same type of technology.
The backbone 3D printed over 9,000 different parts before landing on the model that will eventually be shipped, and microscopically adjusting every aspect of the controller, reaching what the Joy-Cons felt like Fisher Price toys.
This level of accuracy and versatility is costly. The Backbone Pro is on sale for $169.99. This is a bit sudden considering you can buy a renovated Nintendo Switch Lite for the same price. But for serious players who need that cross-device capability, the Backbone Pro might be worth it.
If you’re not bounced back and forth between your TV and your phone’s Xbox Game Pass, then maybe the original backbone game for $99.99 might be fine.