The mobile controller company Backbone unveiled its Backbone Pro controller this week, which brings iOS and Android gaming experiences to the next level.
A successor to the Backbone One controller, the Pro features full-size joysticks, re-mappable buttons, and Bluetooth compatibility, making for a more premium gaming setup. Unlike its predecessor, the Backbone Pro doesn’t need to be attached to a phone to work, meaning that you could use it as a wireless controller. That functionality gets extra useful when using cloud gaming services like Xbox Game Pass. You can play a game with the Backbone Pro controller on your TV, then plug your phone into the controller and instantly pick up where you left off on mobile.
“Our thought is, gaming should be a lot more straightforward,” founder Maneet Khaira told TechCrunch. ”It needs to be really simple and work more like AirPods when you connect to screens.”
Backbone is betting big on the growth of mobile gaming, which has only been accelerated by expanding cloud gaming options, but so far, Backbone seems to be cementing itself as the top hardware maker for mobile gamers. It also helps that Backbone is teeming with celebrity investors like Ashton Kutcher, The Weeknd, MrBeast, Post Malone, and Amy Schumer, as well as gaming insiders like Discord founder Jason Citron.
But as someone who doesn’t use Xbox Game Pass or similar cloud subscriptions, I never quite understood the hype around using a smartphone as a gaming device. I already have a Nintendo Switch, a device specifically made for gaming, as opposed to my iPhone, which is designed for a bazillion other things. So to test the Backbone Pro, I downloaded some games on my phone that I already play on the Switch, solely for the purpose of comparing the gameplay experience.
The verdict? I have logged about 13 hours of gameplay on the iOS version of Stardew Valley over the last three days. I’m not fully sold on mobile gaming — answering texts while playing a game is kind of annoying — but I have to say, I’d much rather sit on the couch with the Backbone Pro than the Nintendo Switch, which prioritizes screen size over comfort.
Image Credits:TechCrunch
The Backbone Pro shines in its e …