Plenty of companies have launched console-style controller units for smartphones, but the Backbone One promises to expand the mobile gaming experience beyond what’s currently available for every iPhone since the 6.
A new launch video showcases the portable platform on a family farm, where the director was confined at some point during the pandemic. Old and young folks are shown taking out opponents in Call of Duty: Mobile while easily manipulating low-latency thumbsticks and triggers.
It runs entirely off of power from the iPhone, which can be charged with a built-in pass-through Lightning port. There’s also a 3.5mm jack for those who want to play with wired headphones.
That’s all pretty standard stuff, but what separates the Backbone One is what you can do with the Backbone app, which is launched at the press of a button. The software allows users to record and share gameplay at 1080p and 30 frames per second and initiate in-game chat with friends. The app also provides a console-style interface to view those clips, along with any games that have been installed from Apple’s App Store.
Forbes compared the Backbone One to the Nintendo Switch Lite Hybrid in a review, writing, “The Backbone is different. Trying different apps over the last week, whether it was Brawlhalla or Call of Duty Mobile, and using all the functionality of the backbone it felt like a portable console like a Nintendo Switch.”
Engineered exclusively for iPhone, the Backbone One is priced at $99 and can only be purchased through the app—download it now to learn more.
