The Backbone Pro Kept Me Gaming for Hours (On Any Screen)

If you’re looking for a premium controller for mobile and cloud gaming across multiple screens, the Backbone Pro is pretty close to the best contender there is, despite increasing competition. The Pro iteration introduces Bluetooth for seamless gaming across your phone, PC, tablet, and more.

Backbone Pro

Wireless?

Yes

Compatible Systems

Android phones and iPhone 15 and above

Brand

Backbone

Battery

Up to 40 hours of wireless play on a single charge

The Backbone Pro takes mobile gaming (and beyond) to the next level of comfort with two full-sized joysticks, Hall-effect triggers, and two customizable rear buttons for a console-quality experience. You can use it wired with a USB-C connection or go wireless with Bluetooth to play on PC, console, iPad, or any other compatible screen.  
 

Pros & Cons

• Comfortable for hours of gaming
• Buttons and joysticks have a premium feel
• Multi-device compatibility through Bluetooth and USB-C connection
• Compatibility with multiple cloud gaming platforms
• Long-lasting battery life and pass-through charging

• Some features are locked behind a subscrition
• No haptic feedback
• No Hall effect on the joysticks may cause them to degrade over time

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Price and Availability

The Backbone Pro controller is available now from Backbone and Best Buy for $170. It is only available in black and offers compatibility with USB-C devices, with adapters included for a snug fit with or without a phone case.

Very Comfortable for Hours of Gaming

Comfort is one of the first concerns when I’m gaming for hours at a time, and I loved the ergonomics of the Backbone Pro. The moment I snapped my phone onto the integrated USB-C connector and started gaming, I was pretty happy with the feel of the controller. It features curved grips with a laser-etched texture that feels comfortable to hold (and doesn’t feel slippery when my hands get sweaty). I believe, however, that the Backbone Pro has a design more suited to larger hands than mine, as the handles are slightly bulky in my grip. Luckily, the bulk doesn’t at all affect my comfort (and during testing, I regularly gamed for hours on end with no hand cramping or discomfort).

The Backbone Pro is lightweight, too, despite its solid feel, so I didn’t fatigue from its weight.

Nothing about this controller feels cheap (and rightly so, considering the relatively high price tag). The buttons and joysticks not only feel premium but also have comfortable spacing. My only gripe is that the thumbsticks lack Hall Effect sensors, which may cause them to wear out over time and result in drift (sometimes this is fixable). For the price of the controller, I’m unsure why Backbone didn’t include this detail.

The ergonomics reminded me of some of my wireless Xbox controllers, as Backbone even thought about adding a comfy curve to the triggers. Everything is right where I expected it to be, with an Xbox-style button placement. In addition to the usual buttons, it features a Backbone app button, a screenshot button, a three-dots button for the options in the app, and a hamburger button for the app’s menu.

While the buttons have crisp, clicky feedback, I didn’t find them to be overly loud (except for the X, Y, A, and B buttons, which emitted a bit of noise that made me think twice about gaming in a quiet setting, such as a library). Most of the time, I didn’t feel like I was gaming on a phone because of how smooth it felt, which is exactly what I want from a mobile controller.

The design is intuitive, too. To insert my phone, I only needed to expand the controller and snap it into place onto the USB-C connector, which was on the right-hand side. For reference, the controller expands to about 7 inches, so it fits your average smartphone and even some smaller tablets.

On the bottom of the controller’s handles are, from left to right: the Bluetooth pairing button, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a USB-C port for charging. Some upgrades over the original Backbone One include larger thumbsticks, anti-friction rings on the thumbsticks, glossy buttons (rather than matte), and two remappable M1 and M2 buttons located on the inside of the handles.

While the controller comes with two extra adapters for using the Backbone Pro with a phone case, I typically didn’t need to use them, as my phone fit inside the Backbone Pro, with or without its case. This, however, won’t be the case if you have a PopSocket on your phone’s case; in that case, I’d recommend just removing the case before gaming. (The FAQ section has a handy list of compatible cases).

The Controller for Every Screen

While the Backbone Pro’s design puts mobile gaming first, that isn’t all it’s good for. Thanks to the inclusion of Bluetooth connectivity, I was able to game on any screen I wanted. I noticed significantly less lag during direct mobile gaming through Xbox Cloud and other cloud services, but Bluetooth connections performed well, too. The option to switch between screens makes this a great controller for PC gaming, tablet gaming, mobile gaming, and even Xbox Remote Play.

Because the Backbone Pro is compatible with so many major platforms, I played games on Google Play, like Asphalt 8, Genshin Impact, and Life Is Strange, but also via apps like Steam Link, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and NVIDIA GeForce Now for games available on those platforms directly on mobile. The app also streamlines the time it takes to launch games on different platforms, though this requires a subscription (more about that later).

Using the Backbone Pro across screens via Bluetooth is one of its major selling points. Whether I was playing on my Samsung S24 Ultra, PC, or tablet, the Backbone Pro connected in seconds and maintained a solid, low-latency connection, even over Bluetooth. I was also able to quickly switch between Bluetooth devices, and the Pro remembered connections for several devices, so I didn’t have to keep hitting the Bluetooth button.

As someone who frequently likes to switch up how I play, it was a huge plus to be able to jump between devices and ecosystems easily. If you’re someone who travels a lot, too, bringing the Backbone Pro along would make it possible to game on your phone, PC, and tablet without needing any extra controllers. This is what stands out about the Backbone Pro, as other competitors like the Razer Kishi Ultra lack Bluetooth and focus primarily on mobile gaming.

Smooth Gaming Performance

Every time I played games with the Backbone Pro, I had an impressively smooth gaming experience. The buttons, triggers, and remappable back buttons felt snappy and responsive, regardless of the game I was playing, with darn-near-perfect sizing. The analog sticks moved smoothly and precisely with minimal effort, yet had enough tension to ensure precision and avoid random mistakes, such as overshooting my applied pressure and colliding into a wall or enemy.

The sticks on the Backbone Pro are a tad bit stiffer than my Xbox Elite controller, so for certain games, such as racing options, I needed to apply more pressure than usual. I also missed haptic feedback, as the Backbone Pro lacks this entirely, and some games feel a little less satisfying without that rumble. However, I doubt everyone will care about this.

I tried a variety of games, from puzzles to shooters to RPGs, so customizing my game controller profiles was a handy feature to have. For instance, for the stealth-heavy game A Plague Tale: Requiem, I programmed M1 to dodge (otherwise the B button) and M2 to aim the sling (normally LT), so I could keep both thumbs on the sticks while dodging and aiming, enhancing my timing for both combat and stealth.

Or, for the puzzle adventure Blue Prince, the back buttons were set to help me navigate puzzles and interact with items without having to move my thumbs. In Genshin Impact, I prioritized character swapping with M1 for quicker reaction time during battles. Switching between profiles was as easy as tapping the top-right button and clicking the profile from the drop-down.

The controller’s performance was consistent across platforms, whether I played natively on mobile, used Xbox Remote Play, or played cloud-based games. Bluetooth connections on other devices also performed well, with low latency and lightning-quick device switching, thanks to Backbone’s “FlowState” technology, which easily allowed me to switch between my PC and tablet in a matter of seconds.

With a Backbone+ membership, I could also use its integrated party chat system to voice chat with friends who also had a Backbone controller and subscription. This took away the need for a third-party app and was a fun feature to use. However, it’s somewhat limiting since not all your friends will need to have a Backbone membership and controller, and you could still achieve this by using a third-party app elsewhere.

The Backbone App and Backbone+ Subscription

The Backbone App is the all-in-one hub that ties the whole experience of the Backbone Pro together. It organizes your games from different platforms—such as Xbox Cloud Gaming, Steam Link, and NVIDIA GeForce Now—into a clean, scrollable interface. I did find it a bit cluttered once I scrolled past the top few sections, but Backbone does a reasonably nice job at conglomerating games based on type if you aren’t sure what you want to play.

Unfortunately, while you can use the Backbone Pro without a Backbone+ subscription ($40 annually), this keeps some of the core features behind a paywall. The features available without a subscription include general app use, gameplay for any game that supports controllers, free firmware updates, button remapping, screenshots, and gaming news.

But some of the features locked behind a paywall seemed absurd to me, and that’s the major negative of the Backbone Pro controller. Without the subscription, you can’t get direct access to NVIDIA GeForce Now or Xbox Cloud Gaming via Xbox Game Pass. You don’t have the app’s catalog that puts all your games in one place, the game launcher’s emulator, the ability to seamlessly switch between screens without hitting the Bluetooth button, voice chat with other Backbone+ subscribers, in-app screenshot and clip sharing, and other app-exclusive features.

While you get a free trial with your purchase, the recurring fee can feel like a bit of a bait-and-switch, especially for a premium controller. For a device that already costs more than many of its competitors, paywalling essential features is somewhat ridiculous. But the extra cash you’re doling out is for the convenience of an “any-screen” controller that prioritizes mobile gaming but also allows you to play on all your other screens.

Long-Lasting Battery Life and Pass-Through Charging

The Backbone Pro boasts a battery life of 40 hours, which I found to be consistent with my gameplay. I rarely needed to charge the controller after a few game sessions, and was typically only required to charge it once a week. The controller easily kept up with my marathon gameplay of games like Blue Prince and Halo Infinite. Even with Bluetooth enabled, power consumption was impressively low. Charging took around two and a half hours or so to reach a full battery.

I also appreciated the pass-through charging option, which allowed me to game on my phone and charge it simultaneously. Since the Backbone Pro’s USB-C port was located on the bottom of the right handle, I never had an issue with my charging cable getting in the way while gaming, either. Cloud gaming frequently drained my phone’s battery, so this feature was particularly useful.

Should You Buy the Backbone Pro Mobile Gaming Controller?

If you’re serious about mobile or cloud gaming, the Backbone Pro is one of the best controllers you can buy. But you will pay a high price to own one, especially if you opt for that annual subscription.

The Backbone Pro was ultra-comfortable for long sessions, felt premium, and allowed me to game on any screen I wanted on multiple platforms. The Bluetooth support, pass-through charging, and customizable profiles make it a console-quality experience. That said, the Backbone+ subscription still places some core features behind a paywall—something to consider if you’re not keen on ongoing costs ($40 per year, in addition to the high $170 price tag for the controller itself).

Still, with all its minor faults, the Backbone Pro might be the best controller you can buy if you’re looking for the ability to swap between mobile gaming and other screens with one gamepad. If you don’t care about the Bluetooth functionality, you may do better to check out other top-ranked mobile gaming controllers.

Backbone Pro

Wireless?

Yes

Compatible Systems

Android phones and iPhone 15 and above

Brand

Backbone

Battery

Up to 40 hours of wireless play on a single charge

The Backbone Pro takes mobile gaming (and beyond) to the next level of comfort with two full-sized joysticks, Hall-effect triggers, and two customizable rear buttons for a console-quality experience. You can use it wired with a USB-C connection or go wireless with Bluetooth to play on PC, console, iPad, or any other compatible screen.