Touchscreen controls have to be the clumsiest way to play hectic first person shooters and 3D action games on smartphones or tablets, and downright useless when trying to stream a PC or console title from the cloud. Backbone’s controller range has long been one of my favourite ways to add physical buttons and joysticks to a phone, and right now the entire 2nd Gen range is 30% off for Prime Day.
Each Backbone controller usually retails for $100/£100, but can be had right now for $100/£70. This matches last year’s Black Friday discount price.
There are two separate Backbone One models: one for Lightning-equipped iPhones, and another for phones with USB-C connections (including the iPhone 15 series). The latter had its pull-apart grip mechanism updated to better support Android phones with large camera bumps – something that the first-gen model struggled with.
Both can be had in black, with A,B,X,Y buttons meant to match Xbox consoles, or white, with PlayStation symbols on the face buttons and an official endorsement from Sony. Every version has twin analogue sticks, a D-pad, and four shoulder buttons. They all support a companion app that can pool all your installed games in one place, making your phone feel more like a dedicated handheld even if you’re regularly swapping between titles.
The USB-C version of the controller is available below. When I reviewed the Backbone One PlayStation Edition, I said “At £99/$99 it’s pricier than a phone mount for your existing controller, but considerably more portable” – with this Prime Day discount there’s even less in it.
