If you think your phone does a pretty good job with games, the latest accessory could just complete the package.
Gaming on your phone can be just like gaming on a proper portable system if you have the right bits and pieces. We’re already largely there with the graphics and capability, and while the game selection varies dependent on platform, you have choices.
If you subscribe to Apple Arcade, there are a bunch of titles available on the go, and there’s always Xbox Cloud Gaming if you fancy that next-gen experience to take with you, something 5G can help with.
All that’s left to deal with is how the phone feels, portraying the gaming experience in a hand-held fashion. For that, there are dedicated phones that may or may not come with their own accessories, such as the Asus ROG Phone range, but alternatively, there’s a way to turn your current phone into a physical gaming controller of sorts.
iPhone owners found that in the Backbone controller earlier in the year, and while Android owners might have been waiting for their own taste, they now have the opportunity, it seems. Backbone is ready with a USB Type C variant of that iPhone Backbone controller, keeping the extendable design not unlike what Razer offers in the Kishi, but also bundling it with some software that changes things.
The USB Type C Android Backbone One supports the Backbone software with a gaming library and shortcut system, plus a way to record gameplay and capture screenshots, not to mention a headphone jack and USB Type C pass-through to keep the phone charged if you need to (because the controller won’t charge phones natively).
The Backbone app will reportedly talk to the Xbox and PlayStation apps, plus the Steam app, and also most of the games you might find on Google Play Pass, mapping a directional pad and thumb stick, plus the regular assortment of buttons and shoulder buttons to a gaming experience reminiscent of what Sony and Microsoft offer, except shaped around your phone.
Pricing for the Backbone One for Android comes in at $179.99, with support for Android phones running version 8 and above with a Type C USB port.
