Backbone’s New Pro Controller Elevates Mobile Gaming Experience

This week, Backbone, the mobile controller company, launched its highly anticipated Backbone Pro controller, designed to enhance gaming on both iOS and Android devices. The Pro model acts as a successor to the popular Backbone One, boasting full-size joysticks, customizable buttons, and Bluetooth compatibility to create a premium gaming setup.
Unlike its predecessor, the Backbone Pro operates wirelessly, eliminating the need to attach it directly to a phone. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for users of cloud gaming services like Xbox Game Pass, allowing seamless transitions from console to mobile. Gamers can enjoy gameplay on their TV with the Backbone Pro and switch to their phone effortlessly, picking up right where they left off.
“Gaming should be a lot more straightforward,” said Backbone founder Maneet Khaira in an interview with TechCrunch. “It needs to be really simple and work more like AirPods when you connect to screens.”
With the growth of mobile gaming and the increasing popularity of cloud gaming, Backbone aims to position itself as a leading hardware provider in this burgeoning market. The company has attracted celebrity investors, including Ashton Kutcher, The Weeknd, MrBeast, Post Malone, and Amy Schumer, as well as industry insiders like Discord’s founder Jason Citron.
Despite the excitement surrounding mobile gaming, some traditional gamers remain skeptical. As someone who primarily uses a Nintendo Switch for gaming, I was curious about how the Backbone Pro would compare to my existing setup. To test it, I downloaded games I already play on the Switch to evaluate the experience.
After logging about 13 hours in Stardew Valley on iOS over three days, I found myself growing accustomed to mobile gaming, although multitasking, like answering texts while playing, proved to be a bit distracting. Nevertheless, I appreciated the comfort the Backbone Pro provided while gaming, favoring it over the Switch’s emphasis on screen size.
The Backbone Pro’s ergonomics stood out during my playtest. Picking up the controller felt natural, with an intuitive design that made for a seamless gaming experience. Upon connecting my phone via the controller’s USB-C port, I quickly began playing Hades—a game known for its hectic button-mashing—without encountering the discomfort that often accompanies switching consoles. This level of comfort exceeds that of the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.
Khaira shared insights into the development process of the Backbone Pro, noting that Backbone utilized advanced prototyping techniques, similar to those employed by Meta during the design of the Quest, to create an ergonomic controller. The company 3D-printed over 9,000 prototypes, making microscopic adjustments to ensure the Pro model’s quality surpassed that of competitors, with Joy-Cons feeling like toys in comparison.
That precision and innovation, however, comes at a price; the Backbone Pro is set at $169.99. While this is a higher price point than the original Backbone One, which retails at $99.99, it may be a worthwhile investment for serious gamers who require cross-device functionality. In contrast, casual players may find the original Backbone One sufficient for their gaming needs without the added expense.