Mobile gambling is having a bit , and with more fervor on Apple ’s ecosystem than Android . Finding the proper controller , however , can be an arduous task . In 2020 , Backbone landed on the setting and like a shot became a blistering favorite for gaming on phones .
Over the long time , the company has released two iterations of its One controller , and even one for PlayStation fan . With its belated , the Backbone Pro , the company hopes you wo n’t reckon for another controller . From mobile and cloud machine to personal computer and VR hardware , this is one comptroller to rule them all .
Backbone went back to the engineering board and made a host of changes to assure that the Pro can be used in USB - tethered mood , as well as a standalone style . That mandate a mass - up , but also introduced perks that bet on enthusiasts will love . The price is still at a agiotage , but the sum total sum of this $ 169.99 package is more than what you would get from an average controller .
Thoughtful design, stunning build
The Backbone Pro is bigger and bulky than its One sib , though it still tips the scales at under 200 grams . Maneet Khaira , the founding top dog of Backbone , tells me that the flagship restrainer has been in growing for over three years and entailed hundreds of three-D - printed prototypes .
Over the course of testing , the team performed camera capture to nail down the most comfortable grip , button layout , and even the texture study . The update thumbsticks required multiple micrometer - storey adjustments to get them correct .
All the work that went into design and technology reflect during usage . I ’ve try on nearly half a dozen game controllers in the past few months , including those with a telescope Browning automatic rifle like the Pro . The Backbone accountant stands out with its superb establish quality and weight balance .
A neat touch on the Pro model is the dotted grain on the hold . It ’s not rubberized , but it still volunteer a remarkable surface - horizontal surface grip . Khaira tells me that the squad experimented with multiple laser - engrave textures to ensure that it ’s not too rough , and does n’t get the palm sweaty either .
derail across unlike venue in Grid Legends in a swelter 98 degrees Fahrenheit weather condition , the Backbone Pro did an admirable task at maintaining open grip against my perspiring decoration and foreclose slipping .
The handles are thicker this time around , and I quite like them . It ’s a personal perquisite because I ’ve grown used to the prescribed Xbox comptroller and felt correctly at home with the Backbone Pro . The added massiveness is also reassure . In hindsight , it offers a more controlled experience if you are using gyro tilt in racing games .
The Backbone Pro also discombobulate a couple of customizable rear buttons into the mix . position towards the inner side of the handgrip , these curved buttons offer a satisfying click feedback and really do in ready to hand for games with crowded controls .
The telescopic barroom can match any smartphone easily , let in the big 1 like theiPhone 16 Pro MaxandRed Magic 10 Pro . It barely falls short of accommodating theiPad mini . Thankfully , the restrainer wo n’t stimulate any hassle if you do n’t desire to take the case off your sound .
The best-grade inputs out there
For all that increase in size and heft , the Backbone Pro added a serious functional perk . In addition to using it in tethered mode via the USB - coulomb inset , this one can also act as a standalone wireless controller for all your machine , including TVs , lozenge , and laptops .
I spend most of my time using the controller in wireless mode , cauterize up hour in Warframe , Alien : Isolation , and the new Resident Evil title . I did n’t run into any issue with rotational latency , and the pairing unconscious process was also fairly unseamed across the covert I tried .
This manual dexterity also ties into a continuity feature for gaming . For example , if you lead dally a game at a sealed dot on a magnanimous screen , you’re able to seamlessly carry it over on a headphone via the prescribed streaming client , such asXbox Cloud .
“ We want to support every political platform , ” Khaira told me during a live manifestation of the Backbone Pro restrainer . So far , my own experience with playing game across various formats has been reasonably fluid and rough-and-tumble - innocent .
In wireless mode , the progress - in electric battery is vaunt to last 40 hours . I could n’t verify this number , and honestly , you should n’t be concerned about it , either . That ’s because the controllers allow parallel charging via the USB - degree centigrade larboard on the good handle .
When plug in , the porthole can top up the telephone set as well as the build - in battery . Technically , I never ran out of succus during my gaming sessions . gratefully , the companion app conveniently testify the earphone and the controller ’s barrage degree , so you’re able to keep an eye on the drainpipe .
A versatile gaming experience
The buttons and marijuana cigarette you get on the Backbone Pro are arguably the right you will find on a controller out there . menstruation . In retrospect , you should n’t get back for anything less at this asking price .
The circular action clit offer a nice clicky feedback with a satisfying level of vertical locomotion , everlasting for philander during your dungeon grinds . The D - Pad , in contrast , offers a quieter response , but they ’re really well put together .
The svelte EL on the edges and a concave profile combine to offer a rewarding orbitual stimulant for perform combos in contend biz . The Hall Effect triggers , unsurprisingly , perform just as well and keep concerns of drifting at bay .
My favorite ingredient of the controller is the full - sized ALPS joysticks . They have a squeamish texture around the periphery for extra clutches . The pair offers precise movement ascendancy , especially in racing games where cornering and hand - brake combos require nimble fingers and pernicious radial movements .
you’re able to calibrate the trigger deepness and also configure the thumbstick utter zona . Button remapping is also part of the package , but I wish the app also offer an in - game catapult experience , the means labels like Red Magic have fulfil .
I had a fantastic time gaming with the Backbone Pro and can report that the aspects such as depth sensitiveness , response time , and keypress feedback are all top - notch . The only misstep was the occasional bugs in the app , which is to be expected while running a TestFlight shape .
In the unchanging version that I was running on the Red Magic 10 Pro andOnePlus 13 , I did n’t comment any lag or non - responsive buttons . look on the chopine , you could also salve custom key presets and coiffe unequaled profiles , as well .
A rewarding controller app
The most enticing constituent of the Backbone Pro experience is actually the mobile app . The layout and find will be second nature to Xbox mobile app users if you ’re on Team Green . The app has been attractively designed , and the content organization is lovely .
Games are neatly screen across platforms , category , and the cloud Robert William Service supplier . The app act more like an aggregator , where you’re able to seamlessly blame up games across Android , iOS , Apple Arcade , Xbox , Nvidia GeForce Now , and other libraries . And yes , you may set in motion the games now , as well .
The game card are dynamic , which means even without tap on them , you may get a scant trailer of the gameplay . When I launched the app , I got approach to a gang of freebies with the Backbone+ subscription , such as Discord Nitro and Apple Arcade for three months .
The biggest surprise ? A aboriginal emulation tool in the Backbone app . The team has built a unified system where emulation core for multiple retro Nintendo consoles have been place in a individual container . For now , you’re able to enjoy games for SNES , NES , Game Boy , and Game Boy Advance chopine .
The Backbone chief tells me that the emulation stack will go as far back as Nintendo 64 . When I asked about bringing more legacy console program , Khaira said it ’s not about choosing a side ( take : Sony or Nintendo ) , but technical capability . “ We want to support every platform , ” he put it bluntly .
Backbone is presently testing emulation cores for PlayStation 1 , PSP , and Nintendo DS , in case you ’re wondering . When I require him to dig further into the challenges at hand , the Backbone top dog told me that the “ big restraint is storage on the phone . ”
wed it all together is the Backbone+ subscription , which serve a bunch of single creature and benefits . Priced at $ 39.99 per yr , it offer $ 35 worth of in - game benefit , a 30 % rebate on Backbone products , the ability to record game videos at full - HD 60fps with cloud storage , in - app vocalization chat , and Twitch lineal streaming .
The best , however , is yet to come . Khaira assure me that the subscription sheaf will make for more claim and content by and by this year . “ We are working on add together licensed game into the subscription bundle , ” he tells me .
In addition to Modern games , Backbone envisions offering free game as well as instantly playable games that can knead offline with the premium big money . “ We require to bring down the barrier of entry as much as possible , ” Khaira explains , add that Backbone hop to evolve into a gambling chopine of its own by working with multiple partners in the play industry .
“ We are really adjudicate to be an alternative direction to play games . ”
– Maneet Khaira , founder and chief operating officer of Backbone .
Verdict
The Backbone Pro is an unabashedly premium accountant . But for its $ 169.99 ask , it edge close to the territorial dominion where you determine first - party controllers from the console warlords . But where the Backbone option races ahead is the transparent flexibleness .
The buttons and joystick are fantastic , and so is the flexibility of using it in docked as well as standalone mode across dissimilar weapons platform . From a hardware linear perspective , it is as in effect as it gets .
If your preferred gaming platform is mobile machine , and the best experience is what you seek , the Backbone Pro will serve you just fine . It move a step further by offer a fantastic catalog aggregator in the mobile app . For fans of emulation , the ramp up - in emulator will be a huge drawing card .
The Backbone One will stay on the shelf at its $ 99.99 ask , going against theRazer Kishi V2 . And if you ’re front for budget alternatives , the GameSir X5 Lite is a great choice . But for family line willing to expend on the Backbone Pro , you are in for a premium gaming experience par excellence .
