I don’t usually capture gameplay unless it’s for work, but I’ve already used Backbone’s implementation to send short clips to friends. It can capture, edit and upload gaming content, and it’s pretty intuitive. The companion app has a few useful tricks. Unfortunately, you will have to remove any cases to ensure it fits inside the controller chassis. The more I spent playing through Alan Wake, then Deathloop, as well as Apple Arcade titles like Fallen Knight and Fantasian, the more it started to blur into a handheld – one with a high-resolution OLED screen. The controls aren’t going to pull away, nor is there a chance of your phone slipping out. The controller’s namesake, the spring-loaded backplate, ensures that once your phone is in place, it all feels solid and unified. The orange button launches Backbone’s own game portal (part of the BackBone iOS app), while others offer screen and video sharing shortcuts or what you’d expect when pressing start or menu on console controllers. There are a handful of buttons in addition to the stable gaming ones. Using the touchpad will mean reaching for a section of the iPhone screen, while you’re not going to get any haptic feedback from the triggers or controller itself. The button layout does lean more towards Xbox gamers, but my PlayStation muscle memory meant I didn’t have too many issues using the One to play my PS5 remotely – just the usual drawbacks of playing with a controller that isn’t a DualSense, with its unique tricks and features. It said so on the box, it says it in the app, and it’ll say it in an email if you register the controller. By subscribing, you are agreeing to Engadget's Terms and Privacy Policy.īackbone struck a deal with Microsoft, offering a one-month trial of Xbox’s Game Pass Ultimate for new Backbone owners.

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