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BACKBONE One Mobile Gaming Controller for iPhone (Lightning)
$99.99
Specification
Additional information
| Asin | B08RL7VLKY |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 6.69 x 3.94 x 1.18 inches |
| Weight | 4.9 ounces |
| Manufacturer | Backbone |
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$13.99
by Mrs. & Mr. Davis
The perfect gaming device for my IPhone 14 Pro for Xbox! Love it!
by Lachante
THE GOOD
Elegant, comfortable design
Lightning and 3.5mm charging and audio passthrough
Clever integration of hardware and software for $100
Very Durable and I love that it’s pretty much portable!
by CLNabhan
The Backbone controller (gen 2) is simply amazing for mobile gamers. I use it to play Xbox games from my iPhone 15 through game pass it it simply works perfect. The only downside on the previous version was the lack of support for phone cases, but now that is fixed. Not all cases will fit, but my ESR case fits fine. You can check the Backbone website to see a list of cases that will fit. I love this controller.
by Julian's mama
Please note: This review’s 2 star rating is based on the original Amazon listing when I bought and received my backbone that made no indication of a subscription service necessary to use the advertised features. It has since been updated on or about Dec 3, 2021 to indicate there is a subscription service to access the app that is only free for the first year. The listing does a poor job of conveying the fact that the app is required to use any of the features achieved through the app and makes no mention of the annual cost of $49.99. The controller has been around since late 2020 and all app functions were available free until they announced their new backbone+ as a paid service to any NEW users after October 22. This was made public on their website but no mention on the Amazon listing until early December, For all these reasons listed above I still feel this deserves a 2 star rating. However, minus the poor choice to implement a subscription plan, the controller is actually an awesome controller that deserves a 4 or 5 star rating minus a few complaints.
I’ll start by what the controller does right:
-Build quality is remarkably good for such a small device from a (I think?) new company on what appears to be their first version. There is little to no slop or creaky plastic- It just feels SOLID!. The slider is especially impressively free of slop. Granted I have only had it a little over a week so not sure on the durability but since I will be returning it I won’t get to test that.
-Charge port and wired headphone access on the bottom of the handgrips are well designed and aid in a more relaxed gameplay. They are countersunk with large cutouts for larger connector shrouds to still fit and really are non obtrusive even when playing using them. They are hardware connected via the same lightning connector into the phone that allows the hardware connection for the controller. Very well thought out.
-The hardware buttons that interact with the app and the software itself is really nice especially when wanting to just jump into a game quickly when you just have a few minutes to burn. Just pop the phone in, push the launcher button and then start using the controller to select a game in your library and the app even enables a game mode that silences obtrusive notifications while playing. There’s also a record button that can be used to start recording video or take a screen shot when pressed. SLICK! Just a great implementation of hardware and software working together. Note: because of what is mentioned above, the app and its features are no longer available without the subscription plan so three of the hardware buttons having to do with app functions I found to not be usable unless I installed the app (they can’t even be reprogrammed in other apps) and two of those continually prompt an app download every time they are pressed.
-All other hardware buttons feel responsive and well built- no complaints on their feel.
-The mechanism to put the phone in is simple and quick to implement. Care must be taken to put the phone in on the left side first then insert the lightning port side and uninstall in reverse or damage to the controller or phone may result. But after a few times its second nature to do it that way anyway.
-The designers have added support to use the controller hardwired to other devices- Macs, iPads, PC’s, etc. At the time I purchased it there was no mention on Amazon of this feature and its cool they added it – however, this is another case where the subscription is required to use. I also have not used this function as I feel in those cases for me, I’ll just use an xbox controller.
Things I think the controller could improve on:
-If your phone is in a case, it doesn’t matter how thin it is, you’ll have to take it off. This is my BIGGEST GRIPE OF THE HARDWARE design of the controller as it adds another step and to some I’m sure removing there case is not that easy or desirable (I know its not for me)
-Small grips, I can cut some slack here as the design choice may have preferred a more compact form factor over larger grip comfort. If you are used to an Xbox controller this will be uncomfortable at first and will likely never be as enjoyable as a larger controller
-Small joysticks- they’re very short making them that much more sensitive on a controller that is somewhat small to hold to begin with. This again is excusable because it helps maintain a lower profile, compact form factor. The larger these sticks become the more susceptible they are to damage in transport, or rough use.
-No case, due to its slider design the controller without a phone is thinner and less tall, BUT wider than an xbox controller! For this reason I feel it needs a case to be carried around as I don’t trust it safe form damage otherwise, and for the price I wouldn’t want to risk it and feel it maybe should have been included.
-Probably don’t need to mention it again but, REMOVE the need for a subscription to use the app!
-Ability to fold or slide to a smaller form factor to make it more likely to want to be carried around.
Some things that aren’t great, but no fault of backbone:
-xbox cloud gaming is hit and miss, if you haven’t tried it before, don’t assume its as enjoyable as local gaming or gaming on the xbox. It works sometimes and other times stutters bad regardless of connection. Also, this cannot be accessed through backbones game launcher but that is due to a fight between Apple’s app store and Microsoft. It must be loaded as a safari app (easy and backbone walks you through it) xbox cloud gaming was a big draw for me (using it on the phone, not the free month access they supply). I already have it and had used it on the xbox but felt I would get more use out of the phone using it- I found out, I don’t like its performance on the phone.
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To conclude this overly lengthy review, I don’t think this controller at the current price and app subscription plan is worth the purchase. I think a version 2 with even just a few improvements, notably for me, its ability to use phones inside their case and a removal of the subscription requirement for most features would provide a better value proposition. As is, I am returning mine primarily for the failure to advertise the need for the subscription for all advertised features..
Attached are photos of the app prompts when its not installed and either the photo or launcher button is pressed and another of the subscription service that is added when setting up the app. Also pictures showing its size next to an xbox controller.
by Ronaldo Lopez
Let me start off by saying this is not inherently a bad product. Despite my criticisms you’ll see in the following paragraphs I do think this is at least a decent product for a lot of people who are less picky than me. Probably the more casual crowd will like this more than I do.
I was looking for a nice game pad for my recently purchased IPhone 13 Pro so I can really take advantage of the immense power that is in this phone. For anyone who doesn’t already know, due to the 13 Pros larger camera module that is both larger and protrudes more than the previous generation 12 Pro, the backbone requires a special adapter in order to mount your 13 Pro comfortably into the device. I anticipated liking this product so I went ahead and ordered it from their website (free, you just pay shipping) but I did not arrive in time for me to use the adapter. Be warned, without the adapter it’s a very tight fit and the “backbone” really rubs against the camera lens of the phone. I don’t consider this a con quite as much as I normally would because the company took it upon themselves to release a solution very quickly.
I saw someone mention in their review that the game pad had the tactile feel and functionality of an actual dedicated console controller. I’d have to agree! It does! But it feels like a 3DS or a Switch. Perhaps that’s not a big deal especially since we’re talking about playing games on your phone. It has PlayStation reminiscent triggers and bumpers but the rest feels very Nintendo-ish. I’ve been spoiled from using a Xbox Elite Series 2 controller for the past year and I’ve grown accustomed to this excellent button presses and joystick manipulation. Joysticks, that’s where my main gripe is. They’re probably great for most people playing casually but the issue is they’re small and lack the same manipulation that the Xbox joystick has. It feels very difficult to make small incremental adjustments unless I take my focus off the game and then take the focus to actually manipulating the joystick. I think you could make the argument that this is a muscle memory issue and can be remedied by getting used to these joysticks. Maybe, but maybe not. The hours I spent trying to play cod mobile and then Minecraft just felt clunky with constantly having to adjust sensitivity settings until I realized that the real issue is just the lack of ability to make those fine small adjustments on these joysticks. Is it better than using your fingers? Absolutely. It’s more comfortable by a long run but I often times felt I could generally be a faster and more accurate player using my fingers for aiming then I could using the joysticks which is natural yes, but the gap was so large I found it to be unacceptable.
Moving onto the ergonomics. This is a mixed bag, one the one hand the ergonomics feel pretty good and I’d say that’s exactly what they are but the button placement feels every so slightly awkward in terms of spacing that I find myself making slight adjustments with my hand I order to comfortably click ABXY buttons and mostly the D pad under the left joystick. When your holding it normally and don’t need to use that D pad it’s fine but when you do need to use it (at least for me) I had to adjust my hand each time. The handles on each side are also a little too small for my hands but that wasn’t a huge deal for me.
Another con for me is that the “backbone” and the way the device is designed prohibits the use of both a case and MagSafe accessories. It’s incredibly annoying to have to take off the case each time you want to use the backbone. But even without a case the backbone covers the magsafe area so you cannot use a magsafe charger while playing. Some people may wonder why this is a big deal, honestly it’s not but here’s my thinking. I have one charger, an apple 20 watt charger with the apple magsafe hockey puck attached to it. I don’t use the lighting cable so in order to use the backbones built in lighting bypass to charge the phone while I’m playing would require I disconnect my magsafe charger each time and revert back to lighting for my charging needs. I don’t want to do that. But hey, it has a headphone jack!!! Too bad I bought AirPods with literally the same order the backbone came in though.
Last con and probably the most nitpicky thing
The plastic material of the type that absorbs the oils from your hand and wears it like a badge of honor. It’s honestly kinda yucky to look at because it looks oily and stained and it’s actually kind of hard to clean if you don’t have alcohol. Not a functional con but it still bothers me. You can see this in my picture that I attached.
Onto the pros
It feels generally well constructed despite my criticisms. The buttons have a very clicky feel which is always satisfying.
The backbone app software (despite my limited use) genuinely looks and feels pretty cool. It’s a seamless experience once you plug your phone into the built in lighting connector and it honestly feels like something that apple would have made themselves as a first party accessory once you get it up and running. The backbone app feels like something actually built around gaming, whether that be mobile games or your streaming Xbox on Xcloud. Unfortunately the awkward ergonomics and sub par joysticks could not make the product live up the expectations I had for it.
by CrossFire DireWolf
I can only speak for iPhone, this game controller rocks, it felts great, it works great, but sadly the games I play requires me to touch the phone screen to shoot and aim straight. Its a bit pricy, but WOW! it was a very nice controller.
by Jayden
Don’t get me wrong, this product is amazing; but it’s expensive. It’s $100 to get it, and another $40 a year to use it’s features. You can use the controls without the subscription, but the extra $40 does actually enhance the experience.
I would definitely recommend it if you are okay with the price.
by rachelmarley
Didn’t mean to buy Xbox one but when setting it up, it’s like having a mini Xbox in your hands. u can also hook up ur controller to it if wanted. Fits on your phone perfectly. I have galaxy z4 it was easy adjustable. Recommend if you just wanna play with on the go.
by Alec Stahly
I like the idea of being able to play games on my phone when I get a free minute or two. That is exactly what this little device does best. Plus, not having to charge a battery or worry about Bluetooth connectivity is an absolute win.
I have larger hands, so I found this controller similar to the Nintendo Switch Joycons in size. The buttons feel like they are made well and will last a long time without excessive button mashing. The finish is fantastic and all of the controls are very responsive and tactile. However the joysticks are difficult to use at times, especially for games like first person shooters. Arcade games, platformers and even 3rd person action games should play well however. I played an RPG through Xbox cloud gaming using this and was pleased overall with my ability to control the character. The size also makes it GREAT for travel.
Ultimately this device does perfectly what it set out to do: allows you to play short little sessions of your favorite games in your free time. Anything longer than about 30 minutes at a time, my larger hands felt fatigued and cramped. Any longer than this and you are probably better off connecting a full sized controller to your phone, and if you are doing that, you might as well play on the larger TV.
by Rah
I was in love with the product for months. Never had an issue for about a year. Then when my controller did start acting up, I initially got no response from tech support. When I did it was to go thru over a month’s worth of texting for someone to tell me oh we can’t actually send you a refurbished replacement without you finding a copy of ur receipt from a year ago. Gr8 initial product. Horrendous customer service