Customer Ratings & Reviews

If you’re looking for a way to turn your phone into a legitimate portable gaming console, the Backbone One (PlayStation Edition) is easily the best investment you can make. After using it for a while, I’m genuinely impressed by how much it changes the mobile gaming experience. What Makes It Stand Out • Premium Build Quality: The first thing you notice is how solid it feels. It doesn’t feel like a cheap plastic toy; the buttons are tactile, the triggers have a great range of motion, and the joysticks are responsive. It feels like holding a high-end controller that happened to be shrunk down. • The PlayStation Aesthetic: As a fan of the PS5, I love the design. The white finish, the iconic transparent buttons, and the overall look perfectly match the DualSense controller. It looks sleek and professional. • Seamless Integration: It’s incredibly easy to set up. You just snap your phone in, and it works instantly. The dedicated Backbone button captures gameplay or opens the app hub smoothly, making the transition between games feel like a true console UI. • Zero Latency: Since it connects directly to your phone’s charging port (USB-C or Lightning), there is no input lag. This is a game-changer for competitive games or when using PS Remote Play. Final Verdict I absolutely love this device. It has completely replaced my need to carry a separate handheld console when I travel. Whether I’m streaming my PS5 from the living room or playing native mobile games like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty, the quality is top-tier. If you want a "console-quality" feel on your phone, this is the one to get. I’ve had mine about three weeks now and I’ve yet to unhook it from my phone !

I love the backbone one, it has very little (almost imperceptible) latency, doesn’t require batteries, and (without the device) is very compact/portable. Highly recommend. Only issue is stick drift, but if you are very careful about not dropping and storing it correctly, you should get a good amount of use out of it. This will be my third BB controller, of the other two, one suffered from stick drift through my own fault, and the other also had stick drift due to normal wear and tear. My one recommendation for Backbone as a company would be that they should implement the Hall effect on their joysticks to mitigate the drift, and come down on the price, as you can find other controllers for the same use at a much lower price across the web. I’m going to give them this last shot and if the next gen’s don’t take care of the well known stick drift issue I may switch controller manufacturers. ***Full transparency, I’m purchasing this controller on sale for Black Friday, that’s the reason why I’m sticking with backbone for now…

Use it every day an amazing product love how easy it is to use and adapt as well as the external charging port so that way you could game for hours

Pretty neat actually playing on your phone in a different room

Great product, and the pickup process was very smooth! I will be buying from Best Buy for all my future electronic purchases!

I highly recommend it to anyone who has difficulty controlling their cell phone, they can use this control that will change your game player

The back bone is fun especially if I can’t play on my PlayStation because someone is watching tv so I use the back bone and still allows me to play my ps5

[Employee of bestbuy] I use this thing almost everyday, I am so impressed I have yet to find a game that is NOT compatable on iOS honestly at this point I can not recommend it enough

Purchased two for Christmas, were good until they were not. The left joy-cons had drifting issues and the right sides stopped working completely. Of course happened when out of a returnable or changeable time frame.

The Backbone handheld is pure fun — comfy, clicky, and instantly turns your phone into a tiny gaming console. Games feel smoother, controls feel great, and the whole experience just makes mobile gaming way more exciting.

I was skeptical about this controller, especially with the price tag. But I am thoroughly happy with it. It is comfortable to hold—even with my big hands and the button and analog response is very good. Streaming my games is wonderful too with no lag that I have noticed in the button response. I have one critique though, I don’t dig the style of the analog sticks. They remind me of Nintendo Joy Cons and I refuse to use the OEM Joy Cons for my Switch. I’m stuck with them on this controller. If Backbone came out with a controller with analog sticks like the Hori Split Pad Pro has, this controller would be perfect. I do like the app too and don’t mind the subscription fee. That’s my subjective opinion though. Take it or leave it.

I got the Backbone Gen 2 as a means to test the waters in terms of using the Remote Play function on my PS5. The Backbone connects to the iPhone and you are immediately instructed to download the Backbone app, which shows you the different features of the Backbone, calibrate the control sticks, and sign up for a paid Backbone subscription service (this is 100% optional). Using the Backbone, the action buttons are easy to press and make a clicking sound, the D-pad is responsive, the analog sticks are a decent size and click inward to simulate L3/R3, and the L2/R2 buttons have a bit of travel to them like on the DualSense controllers. The L2/R2 buttons don't have a lot of tension so my only concern is that they will wear out prematurely. As long as you're not death-gripping the Backbone and don't drop it all the time, it should be fine. I have two major cons for the Backbone. The first is that, even with the included Small adapters in place, my phone will not fit with the protective case on. I have the Otter Box Symmetry Clear on my iPhone 13 Pro Max and the connector will not reach into the port, even if the adapters are removed. The second con is the orange Backbone button. If you press the button quickly, even by accident, it automatically takes you to the Backbone App and kicks you out of your Remote Play session. If you hold it down for about 1/8 of a second, you can access the Control Center on the PS5. Holding it down for 1/4 of a second will take you to the PS5 Main Menu. Holding it down any longer than that will take you to the Backbone App. I really wish that they would make the orange Backbone button function more like the PS button like on the DualSense controller, with an extra long press taking you to the Backbone App. This was never intended to be the ultimate replacement to gaming on the console itself, but rather intended to be a complimentary accessory to the core experience. And for that, the Backbone is a good accessory for anybody looking to take their console gaming on the go, without fiddling with carrying an extra controller and what not. 4/5!

Great controller for mobile gaming. Comfortable to hold, easy to use, and works seamlessly with PlayStation Remote Play. Makes gaming on the go much better.

The Backbone One is an impressive mobile gaming controller that truly enhances the experience for iPhone users. It's incredibly easy to set up—simply plug it into your phone, and you're ready to play. The build quality is solid, with a sleek, ergonomic design that feels comfortable in the hands for extended gaming sessions. What really stands out is the seamless integration with iOS and the wide compatibility with games. It works not only with native games that support controller input but also with cloud gaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and PlayStation Remote Play. The buttons are responsive, and the thumbsticks offer a smooth, precise control feel. Another highlight is the Backbone app, which acts as a gaming hub, offering a personalized feed of your games, as well as access to exclusive perks, guides, and news. Plus, the addition of a headphone jack on the controller itself is a thoughtful touch, eliminating the need to fiddle with your phone’s audio settings during gameplay. Overall, the Backbone One is a must-have for anyone serious about mobile gaming. Its functionality, design, and ease of use make it one of the best mobile controllers available for iPhone users.

Great product but really get warranty if you plan on purchasing this. Its great, it works well it gives like a .5 second delay on remote play for either steam, xbox or ps but still is great. It works fast and well with other mobile games too but it can unfortuanely bug on you. Got mine like a month I believe and not too long ago it started acting up for no reason. The whole left side doesnt work and acts up while the right side is completely fine. It also makes it works as if they were “headphones” which is weird and annoying. Many have had this issue so I really recommend getting warranty if youre getting this.

It makes Remote Play feel like you’re using a real handheld. The buttons feel solid, no lag, and it snaps right onto the phone. Perfect for when the TV is taken or you’re not home. If you play PS a lot, this is worth grabbing.

Convert to phone into a handheld gaming device essentially. Whats more to say about it. Works as intended granted the mobile games support the device.

I’ve been using this product for the last few months, and it has been working fine! The only issue I do have with the product (it may have been user error - no idea) it often disconnects with a certain posture. Despite this problem, it works well and is good quality.

This is great. My husband loved my sons so much we had to buy two. Fits phone well and buttons work great! Love that we got it on sale and could use a Best Buy $10 off coupon on it.

The backbone is such a beautiful device. I was able to play wherever whenever wherever I want on my phone, it was nice. It was easy to install. It was beautiful flawless to play loved call of duty and other games that I really didn’t wanna play because I was hooked on call of duty this makes it on the goal the best thing to do so.