A good iOS game doesn’t require a controller for a pleasant experience. retro bowlOne of my favorite mobile games, strikes a fine balance between functionality and fluid touch controls: drag your finger back on the display to initiate your quarterback’s throws, up or down to aim, and to throw. Release (everything else is as uninterrupted)
But even a game built for touch screens can benefit from a good mobile controller. After testing Bacon’s One controller with my iPhone 12 mini (it’ll work with iPhones from the 6S), I’m not sure I can go back to playing retro bowl without controller. It adds a more comfortable grip, more responsive and tactile controls, and free software that makes accessing games easierat no charge.
design
credit: Reviewed / Jordan McMahon
The Backbone One can hold almost any iPhone, and there’s an adapter for the 13 Pro and Pro Max’s big camera bumps.
The Backbone One consists of two JoyCon-like rounded rectangles that contain traditional gaming controls (a joystick, D-pad, four-letter buttons, and shoulder and trigger buttons) as well as some Backbone-specific functions. The two rectangles are joined by two pieces of plastic that slide outward to make enough room for your phone. Once you’ve connected your phone to the Backbone’s dock connector, the left side of the controller can slide back onto the side of your phone to hold it comfortably. However, it’s worth noting that you’ll need to take your phone out of its case before slipping one in.
The controller itself is sturdy and will hold your phone securely. I had no problems with my phone slipping during a week of testing, no matter what angle I held the controller. The controls themselves feel great too: the joysticks are smooth and responsive and the buttons have a satisfying click without feeling harsh.
Backbone also includes some unique buttons that allow you to record gameplay and open the Backbone app (more on that later). There are also two ports on the bottom of the controllers: There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack on the left, while on the right is a Lightning port so you can charge your device while playing (especially handy if your game of choice has a flagship battery). -Drenner).
Gameplay
credit: Reviewed / Jordan McMahon
The Backbone’s buttons are attractive without feeling harsh, and offer a great way to play games on your phone.
Unlike playing an iOS game with a paired PS4 or Xbox One controller, both of which rely on a Bluetooth connection that can introduce little lag, the Backbone connects directly to your device via a dock, which can boost response times. Makes almost instantly.
Even games that require quick reaction times, such as hitman On Google Stadia, you’d expect just the typical lag (up to about 25ms) when playing games on the cloud streaming service. But the games installed on my iPhone, like stardew valley, dadish 2And food wanderer All worked great with no noticeable delay in response time.
portability
credit: Reviewed / Jordan McMahon
If you’ve missed out on a phone with a headphone jack, the Backbone One is a great way to bring it back.
For a good mobile controller to be great, it needs to be more than just good hardware: it also needs to fit snugly in a bag. The Backbone One is a fairly slim controller, about as thick as a Moleskine notebook, but it’s also a bit wider at 10.4 inches. It’s not terrible, but it may be too wide to fit in some pockets, as the spine doesn’t sag as much as Razer’s Kishi controller.
However, the extra width of Backbone makes sense. Inside the two main pieces is an additional piece of plastic that acts as reinforcement for the controller when your phone is attached. This ensures that your phone is held securely while you play, and in practice it works great. As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t notice my phone moving around, and the controller itself doesn’t shift or loosen when it’s in use.
Software
credit: Backbone
Instead of feeling like unnecessary bloatware, Backbone’s apps feel like an important part of bringing the console experience to your phone.
Apart from the killer controller, the Backbone One also comes with a cool app where you can watch all your games in one place, browse recommendations for other games, manage your recordings and more from other Backbone users. can chat with.
Since iOS doesn’t have a way to navigate through your game folders with a controller, Backbone’s app adds a fast way to switch between games without having to drag your hands off the controller.
The app also gives you a way to browse other games that support controllers without having to go to the App Store. Since the App Store doesn’t have a great way to track games with controller support (and the App Store descriptions aren’t always clear on that either), Backbone’s recommendations are a reliable way to find games that will make the most of your new hardware. .
Backbone has also added software to record and edit gameplay footage directly on your phone, and share it across various platforms such as iMessage or Twitter. You can also add other Backbone users as friends and start parties, just like you can on the console.
Backbone has done a great job of making this app feel like an advantage of the hardware, rather than annoying bloatware. Your installed library of games, integration with iOS’s App Store, services like Google Stadia, and social features all make it feel like a cohesive gaming experience rather than an app dealt with as an afterthought.
should you buy it?
If you’re a fan of gaming on your phone, whether it’s via first-party options on Apple Arcade or via Google Stadia or Xbox Games Pass in your browser, you should get Backbone One. It’s the best controller you can get for your phone, thanks to its fun buttons and quality hardware, as well as excellent software that enhances the experience with extras like gameplay recording and voice chat.
It’s not as compact as Razer’s Kishi, but its hardware feels more durable and offers additional software backbones that add a layer that Razer hasn’t been able to match. At $100, it’s not cheap, but its support for App Store games as well as streaming services makes it a versatile controller that will be a welcome addition to any mobile gamer’s gadgets.
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
