Backbone One PlayStation Edition

I recently purchased the Backbone One Mobile Gaming Controller, and it has completely transformed my mobile gaming experience. The setup was straightforward—just plug in my iPhone, and I was ready to play.The controller feels very comfortable in the hand, and the tactile feedback from the analog sticks is excellent—responsive and satisfying to use, much like a traditional console controller.Pros:Seamless Integration: Works flawlessly with my iPhone, providing a console-like gaming experience.Ergonomic Design: Comfortable to hold during extended gaming sessions.Tactile Analog Sticks: Great feedback that enhances control and precision.Low Latency: Responsive controls with minimal input delay.Pass-Through Charging: Allows me to charge my phone while gaming, ensuring uninterrupted play.Backbone App Access: Provides a hub for all my games, game recommendations, and social features.Cons:Price Point: Slightly on the expensive side, but the quality justifies the cost.Final Thoughts:If you're a mobile gamer looking to elevate your gameplay, the Backbone One is an excellent investment. It offers a seamless and immersive gaming experience that enhances every game I play.

i have some generic cheap one of these which broke after just a few weeks. i decided to spend a little more and the difference in quality is very noticeable. the buttons are more responsive and it just feels better. highly recommend

If you are a mobile gamer but cant afford the alternative official mobile game pads, then this is a very good option. I have large hands but this fits well and ergonomically well designed. The sticks and buttons all well positioned so I do not find myself pressing more than one button even on this smaller device. Obviously the performance of your games is down to the connection, phone quality and battery life, but I have not had a problem playing any of my supported games due to the hardware. The only caution is their attempts to get you to subscribe to a gaming platform. If you have GamePass, PSN or Steam etc, you do NOT need to subscribe to be able to play these, so be carful not to subscribe unless you want to.

A bit difficult to set up but works great

The company claims this product is compatible with the Mous Limitless 5.0 case with one or both magnetic adapters removed, but in actual fact with both removed my iPhone 15 Pro doesn’t “click” into the USB-C port and the Backbone One intermittently connects and disconnects. I tried with my wife’s phone, the same as mine, as is her case except it has a printed design, but that has the same issue too.Without the case, the iPhone clicks into place and works fine.Obviously this is false advertising.

Brilliant bit of kit. Great quality and can play all sorts of games

Okay so Backbone One, console quality but on mobile. Could it be? Well the answer so far is….yes and no. This nifty, ergonomic and great looking bit of kit ticks many boxes for me. Lightning connection that deals with any Bluetooth latency issues, power pass thru for longer gaming sessions, dedicated button for app front end and headphone jack input are all really good additions. The backbone app is really pleasing visually, and is easy to use, it gives the feeling of a console type front end and really adds to the experience. I’ve tried lots of games so far and they all benefit from the controller, although maybe not as much as pairing an existing PS4 or Xbox controller. I’ve had nothing but problems with the Xbox cloud gaming part, games judder and stutter and are basically unplayable, this could be an issue at Xbox end rather than backbone but if you’re partnering with a big company to give a months free trial it should work perfectly and not be a janky mess. The controller snaps on to your phone with minimal fuss and feels nice and solid in the hand when fitted. Worth mentioning you HAVE to remove any protective case from your phone or it won’t fit, I also had to remove the glass protector from my screen as the edges obstructed the backbone from fitting properly. So no case and no screen protector while in use, with most newer iPhones starting at around £900 this makes me anxious, and will defo cut down on how and where I use the pad. Tactile feedback from buttons and triggers have a decent feel and and are more than responsive enough for COD mobile and other games. I enjoyed using this pad for the first half hour or so but then a few little niggles crept in. The pads themselves are comparable to Nintendo switch joycons, they are quite small and my grown ups hands were a little too big for them to remain comfortable for any length of time. This is important to mention as I think most folk buying a £99 phone control pad will be mainly grown up man children like myself! If you have medium to large hands this will 100% apply to you! If switch joycons are not for you then the chances are this won’t be either! The right side joystick is too low on the pad meaning I have to hold my thumb in a weird position to get the best from it, bit of a pain when in most games that stick is used for aiming. Before you buy this expensive product I’d definitely have a go on a switch with joycons to compare how large your hands will be on it. While I’m talking about price there’s a bit of a glaring problem that isn’t documented ANYWHERE on any of the adverts or info for this pad. Once you’ve paid your £99 you then have to subscribe at £44 per year in order to use it! You do get a year free but still a completely hidden subscription fee is a bit of a shock on a mobile gaming peripheral, and if I’m completely honest there’s not a chance I would have bought this at this price knowing there was a subscription as well. Am still weighing up whether to send this pad back as while it is good and I was happy to pay £99 for it, the subscription and the way they have been very quiet about it until the pad is in your hands has left me with a sour taste. I usually play with a paired PS4 pad and tbh that works much better for the majority of games it’s just a pain propping the phone up to play.So to summarise pros and cons -PRO’sLooks greatNice packaging / unboxing experienceLooks and feels like a premium productPower pass thruHeadphone jackBackbone app is really nice to useCON’sExpensivePurposely hidden subscription modelNot very comfortable for longer gamesJoycon placement poorNot for people with big handsIn short, is this a good pad? Well yes but with more than a few caveats. The kicker for me is the hidden subscription plus the fact your expensive and precious iPhone has to be completely unprotected to use it. It’s a great idea but the execution isn’t quite there yet. If they were to address some of these issues in a later product it would be great. I’m not sure if I’m keeping it as yet as I thought this was a solution to replace a paired controller but sadly at this point it’s not. Hope this review helps someone out before they drop a small fortune!