Backbone One Mobile Game Controller (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
- Official Store: https://playbackbone.com/gb/products/backbone-one/
Review Approach:
I make no secret about my love for mobile gaming. With how much power we now carry around in our pockets, we're capable of playing everything from Excitebike to Mario Galaxy 2 by emulation, and a whole world more with native apps and game streaming. With so much to play and more on the horizons, you want the best way to be playing this ever-growing library, and Backbone think they might just have the One you're looking for.
Now handheld controller grips aren't anything new, and we've covered them before with the likes of PowerA's MOGA XP7-X Plus, Razer's Kishi, and Turtle Beach's Atom. Backbone aren't exactly new to this space, with the Backbone One originally releasing for iOS devices back in 2020, and becoming an incredibly popular choice in the space. It later came to Android in 2022, with a PS5-themed design debuting in November for iOS and earlier this year for Android. Backbone sent over this latest Android model for us to check out, but to round out the review a little better, I decided to pick up the original model for the iPhone as well, so you'll see pictures of both throughout.
The Backbone One is a fairly standard affair on the hardware side of things. It's a grip-style controller that wraps around the phone, with it being connected by one of USB C or Lightning port depending on the model you opted for. With it costing £100 you have some expectations out of the box in terms of quality, and I am glad to see them met. The buttons feel slightly small by modern standards, and to my eye are a few millimetres larger than what you'd find on a New 3DS. They each offer a satisfying but muffled click when pressed, and have enough travel distance to accept even a heavy presser. The analogue sticks will feel familiar to Switch owners, though do feel a little smoother than the Joy Cons I have on hand (this could just be a question of age). You get a start and select button, a screenshot button, and a dedicated button to open the Backbone app. We'll talk more about the app later. The two bumpers offer a satisfying bump, and the triggers are a little odd in how they end up flush with the body when fully pressed. For some the travel distance will be a bit short, but the way they feel is really quite unique. They're responsive and lack the mushy feel you might associate with mobile controllers; despite the travel distance, they're probably the best I've used.
A comparison against other devices I had on hand.
Ever the point of contention, the D-Pad is notably fine by my standards. As a fan of a tactile D-Pad it definitely isn't my preference, but with a SNES controller next to me to compare against, it feels like a smaller and smoother version of that. It's not done badly and rolls well from one input to the next, but it wouldn't be my first choice. You also get both a port for pass-through charging and a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is always appreciated. Even modern phones did still provide headphone jacks, the grip would have likely covered it anyway.
With the telescopic nature of the controller you're limited in which devices you can use. For iOS users this is unlikely to be an issue; the Backbone had no issues holding everything from the iPhone 6 to the 13 Pro Max I had on hand. The only devices you'd struggle with are those older than the iPhone 6, with the Backbone just too wide when fully closed to securely hold them. Android phones are a different beast though, with there being a huge number of devices to try to account for. Assuming your phone isn't some rugged beast or some FiiO player (my M11 Plus didn't fit!), you're likely to be fine though. The longest phone I have on hand is the LG Wing at 169.5mm, and that seemed to be pushing the controller to its limit. I don't think there are too many phones larger than this though.
You still won't find a better emulated DS experience than the Surface Duo.
For the novelty of it I gave it a shot with my Surface Duo, with the results being surprisingly good. It takes a bit of getting used to since you have your controls level with the top screen instead of the bottom, but with Drastic able to swap the screens around anyway, you can just make sure your primary screen is at eye level. It holds the phone in securely despite its thin nature, and it definitely the best experience I've had with the Duo.
Comparing the original Backbone One to the newer PlayStation release offers only a few changes. Aesthetically you're looking at a change from black to white for the controller body. While the black plastic isn't the worst I've seen, it definitely does smudge and collect its share of marks. The PlayStation model naturally feels better in this respect. The other difference is in the buttons and the D-Pad. While both feel the same mechanically, they differ greatly in the materials used. Where the original Backbone One opted for a matte finish on its buttons, the PlayStation release has the glossy feel you might find on a DualSense controller. Of the two the PlayStation model wins the day for me, but neither feel bad in hand.
This is how retro games were meant to be played.
On both iOS and Android, the Backbone One comes with its own software that acts as a custom launcher for your controller-compatible games. Beyond native games, you're able to link your Microsoft or Steam accounts to access game streaming via Game Pass and GeForce Now respectively (note you'll need an active subscription to access either). What's particularly nice about this implementation is that you can add specific games from these services to your launcher, cutting out the need to go through their apps entirely. While this is a neat shortcut on Android, it's far more convenient for iOS users who lack a dedicated app either way. The app in general is something I view as a big draw factor for iOS users, with limited options available for controller-enabled app launchers. It isn't perfect mind. To add an app to this launcher, Backbone needs to register it as a game that supports controller inputs. This causes problems when Backbone's database isn't complete. Notably for me, Disgaea 4 Complete+ apparently isn't supported, and as a large game from a large publisher like NISA, it just isn't good enough. This isn't an issue on Android where you can just pick which apps you want to appear from what you have installed, just as long as it's listed as a game.
Update: I decided to report Disgaea 4 being missing on the iOS launcher, and the support team were really swift with a reply, and have informed me that it was passed to the Games Team. While it still isn't ideal to be at the mercy of their own list, it is at least a really good sign that apps can be added by just contacting them.
This app is also full of adverts marked as "suggested" apps that you can't hide on iOS. What's worse, these suggestions will remain on the menu even if you do have the apps installed. There's also "Popular on Backbone" and "Play For Free" app drawers full of games I neither own nor care about. I do understand to a degree that adverts keep this kind of thing alive, but having some kind of freedom to customise the app would go a long way. Especially so when Backbone are trying to sell this as a part of a yearly Backbone Plus subscription service. It's a good start, especially for iOS users, but there are certainly better options available for Android.
NISA may have priced these games into obscurity but I'll be damned if they aren't still worth playing.
Is the Backbone One worth your time? From my experience with both flavours of it, I'd definitely say so if you're wanting to have a better mobile gaming experience. I'm not going to pretend mobile gaming is for everybody, but if you're eager to put the power in your pocket to work, this is probably the best option you have.
Verdict
- Two distinct styles to pick from
- Great-feeling buttons
- Headphone jack
- Pass-through charging
- Useful launcher app for iOS users
- Responsive support team
- Backbone app could still use some work
- Backbone Plus subscription doesn't offer great value yet
