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This effectively acts as a “hub” to keep all of your games and various remote play apps organized.

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When first connected, it will prompt you to download the Backbone app.

Backbone One – SoftwareWhere the Backbone really shines, however, is its tight integration of hardware and software. The result is a controller that doesn’t feel perfectly secure, but I never worried that my phone was going to fall out while playing. Since it’s not custom-fit for each iPhone it doesn’t sit perfectly in the groove, allowing it to twist slightly in your hands and bow a bit on the back portion that pulls apart. Because of the various shapes and sizes of these devices, it has a large groove that wraps around both sides of the phone.

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The Backbone supports everything from iPhone 6s to the latest iPhone 12 series – including the larger iPhone 12 Pro Max – running iOS 13 or later. On the bottom of the left side of the controller is a 3.5mm auxiliary port for connecting a pair of traditional headphones. It also supports using Lightning accessories or Lightning headphones, too. Because this controller plugs into your phone, there’s a Lightning passthrough charger on the bottom of the right side of the controller, allowing you to charge and play at the same time using the cable you already use for your iPhone. Just below that are two more buttons: the orange Backbone button and a menu button, both low-profile and mushy like their counterparts on the left side of the controller. Below the face buttons is another analog stick, identical to the one on the left. They also suffer from a very slight wiggle in their individual slots. All four buttons are small and have a mushy click to them. On the right side of the controller are the four primary face buttons: A, B, X, and Y – laid out like an Xbox controller with A on the bottom and B on the right. What’s nice, though, is that it’s an analog trigger meaning it can register exactly how far it’s pressed down and benefits from a 5mm travel. L2 is lightweight and easy to press, although there’s not much tension. The L1 button is a slim, clicky, tapered button that gently contours with the shape of the controller. Both buttons are extremely low-profile – almost flush with the face of the device – and have a bit of a mushy press to them. Below the D-pad is an options button and a dedicated button for screenshots and video recording. It’s not clicky like everything else on the controller, but instead almost silent with a satisfying press.

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There’s a surprisingly good D-pad just below the left analog stick taking the shape of a rounded plus sign. They are smaller and a bit stiff, and the closest comparison I can make in terms of how they feel are the analog sticks on Joy-Con controllers. There are two offset analog sticks in total, one on each side of the controller. It also features a matte black finish with a slight sheen to it that unfortunately picks up a lot of fingerprints. It has a slightly bulbous base on each side of the controller that evenly distributes the weight and doesn’t make the unit feel top-heavy while playing. With an iPhone 12 attached it’s just over 300g, or roughly the weight of a Nintendo Switch Lite. It’s extremely lightweight, weighing just 138g. Ergonomically, the Backbone is comfortable to hold – albeit better suited for smaller hands. It’s also extremely low-power, taking less energy than a pair of Lightning-connected headphones. The direct connection allows for almost no latency when playing games, bringing it closer to a console experience.

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There’s no Bluetooth settings to worry about or pairing that needs to take place – it just works. To connect it, you simply pull the two ends apart and plug your iPhone into the Lightning connector. It features two independent sides of the controller, each roughly the size of a Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controller, held together by an expandable middle section.

Backbone One – Design and FeaturesThe Backbone One is aptly named due to its dog bone-shape that attaches directly to your iPhone.

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