I turned my phone into a gaming powerhouse with the Backbone Pro — I can’t believe I went so long without a mobile controller

Mobile gaming has come a long way thanks to advances in technology, and with console/cloud gaming available via Remote Play apps, the possibilities are endless — you can play your favorite games anywhere, anytime. And for that, you need one of the best phone controllers, like the Backbone Pro. I spent a few days testing it and I have to say: I am impressed, and now I don’t want to leave my apartment without it.

The Backbone Pro improves on its predecessor by introducing fantastic, responsive Hall Effect triggers and customizable back buttons that make games more immersive. The controller is extremely comfortable thanks to chunky grips and an asymmetrical ABXY layout, and its battery life clocks in at a whopping 40 hours.

While not without its faults, such as some app features being paywalled and the absence of Hall Effect thumbsticks, it’s still a ridiculously good controller. If you’re willing to pay the (steep) price, it’s worth every penny. For the complete breakdown, read my full Backbone Pro review.

Backbone Pro review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A phone gaming controller that succeeds and improves on the Backbone One
• Who is it for? For anyone who wants to game on the go, or wants a phone controller that doubles as a regular gamepad
• How much does it cost? It ain’t cheap — the Backbone Pro retails for $169 / £169
• What do we like? It’s comfortable, features fantastic Hall Effect triggers and customizable back buttons and boasts long battery life, amongst other things
• What don’t we like? It’s expensive, the thumbsticks are analog only and some app features are paywalled

Backbone Pro review: Specs

Backbone Pro review: The ups

From its comfortable, ergonomic design and Hall Effect triggers to its customizable back buttons and long battery life, the Backbone Pro is a winner.

Mighty comfortable for all-day play

The Backbone Pro is a fantastic controller for all-day play. It improves on the Backbone One’s design by introducing full-size thumbsticks, and they’re now the same size as an Xbox controller’s. And like an Xbox gamepad, they’re offset, and the Backbone Pro sports an asymmetrical ABXY design, which I prefer over, say, the PlayStation DualSense’s.

Chunkier grips are at play here, too, making the Backbone Pro feel more substantial and full in my hands. When fully outstretched, the Backbone Pro measures 8.46 x 6.02 x 2.64 inches, and it can mount phones up to 7 inches. I’ve got medium-sized hands and the grips are the perfect size for me.

The controller weighs 18.4oz, so it isn’t too light or too heavy — the Goldilocks of gamepads, if you will. While lighter controllers are less fatiguing, I prefer a heavier gamepad, which is why I really enjoyed using the Backbone Pro.

Easy as pie setup

The Backbone Pro is available in one model only: black USB-C, which makes it OS-agnostic. As long as you have an iPhone 15 or newer, or an Android phone, the controller will work with your device. All you need to do is stretch the phone mount, pop your phone in, and you’re good to go.

What’s even better is that the mount is so spacious that you don’t need to remove your phone cover — something we also loved about the Scuf Nomad ($99). This worked like a charm with my Google Pixel 7 Pro, my partner’s Google Pixel 9, and my friend’s iPhone 15 Pro.

The Backbone Pro has also improved on the Backbone One Gen 2 by introducing Bluetooth LE, so you can use the controller as a regular gamepad without having to mount your phone. Yes, that means it can pair with consoles, PCs and tablets. While it can’t (yet) pair wirelessly with the PlayStation 5 due to Sony’s restriction, it paired smoothly with my MacBook Pro M1 and my iPad (10th Gen).

Fantastic Hall Effect triggers

A new addition to the Backbone Pro is something that was missing in the Backbone One: Hall Effect triggers replace analog ones. Hall Effect triggers are more responsive and durable than analog ones, and they offer precise control, enabling you to finetune your movements.

To test the Backbone Pro, I played a few games via PS Remote Play on an iPhone 15 Pro, which included Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Need for Speed Heat and Planet Zoo. The controller performed exceptionally well in all three games. The quality of Remote Play depends on how strong your WiFi connection is, and since mine is amazing, I didn’t need to worry about any lag or quality issues.

With that out of the way, I noticed no input lag on the controller’s part either. All of my commands were promptly registered, which is crucial in Expedition 33. Winning battles in the game is heavily reliant on you parrying and dodging, as enemies can easily one-shot you. Lucky for me, I timed my parries perfectly by hitting R1 on the Backbone Pro. The travel distance between you pressing the button and its meeting with the sensor is very short, too, so a simple tap is more than enough for the controller to register the input.

Similarly, braking and accelerating in NFS Heat was a breeze. My fingers didn’t feel fatigued when I had to brake and use the thumbstick to drift in challenges either. Speaking of, the Backbone Pro’s thumbsticks don’t utilize Hall Effect sensors, but they’re still highly responsive. I also appreciate that they’re full-size, which made turning tight corners in NFS Heat a walk in the park.

They were also handy in Planet Zoo, where you need a steady hand to create symmetrical enclosures. I didn’t have any issues building multiple homes for my animals with the thumbsticks. I like how close the left thumbstick is to the D-pad, as I was able to use the midpoint of my thumb to press the navigation keys when I needed to access my inventory or cycle through menus.

I played native games on my Google Pixel 7 Pro as well: Real Racing 3 and Call of Duty Mobile. Again, the Backbone Pro performed reliably in both games. Peeking around corners to gauge enemy positions and retreating to my hiding spot in Call of Duty Mobile was quick and easy. I also love how soft the longer L2 and R2 triggers feel, which made aiming and firing my gun, or accelerating in Real Racing 3, less fatiguing on my fingers.

Shiny new back buttons

Backbone has added two customizable back buttons to the Backbone Pro, both within easy reach of ring or pinky fingers. I love back buttons as, to me, they make games feel more intuitive and the controller more ergonomic. These can be remapped via the Backbone app (more on that soon).

For use in F1 22, I customized them in a way that the left button (M2) worked as gear up and the right button (M1) worked as gear down. This made the game much more immersive, and I felt like I was the driver in the cockpit. “This is what Oscar Piastri must feel like,” I thought to myself as I zipped through the Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps… and then crashed into the barrier and thought, “This is what Lance Stroll feels like.”

If you don’t like back buttons, you can leave them unassigned in the Backbone app. That way, you won’t accidentally hit one and, say, shoot your gun in an FPS title and give away your position to the enemy (happens to the best of us).

User-friendly companion app

The Backbone Pro is accompanied by the Backbone app, which serves as the central hub for accessing all your games, apps, Xbox and PS Remote Play, as well as Steam Link. It sports a clean interface that resembles a smart TV. Once you’ve set up the app for the first time, you can choose for it to fire up when you plug your smartphone in, or you can hit the orange Backbone button on the controller’s right-hand grip to launch it.

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You can use the app to customize your controller, too. This includes adjusting each trigger’s and thumbstick’s respective dead zone, remapping each button and trigger, updating the firmware, managing Bluetooth devices and more. It couldn’t be simpler.

Long battery life and passthrough

On top of it all, the Backbone Pro boasts long battery life. The brand says that on a single charge, the controller should comfortably last 40 hours. I used the controller plugged into my phone for a combined total of 10 hours, and the battery dipped to 75%, which is great.

There’s a USB-C port located on the right-hand grip and it features passthrough charging, so a USB-C cable charged both the controller and my phone at the same time. Nifty!

This is something that’s missing from the Scuf Nomad, so good to see that Backbone has retained it from its predecessors. Speaking of, the Backbone Pro’s battery life upstages the Scuf Nomad’s, which is limited to just 16 hours.

Backbone Pro review: The downs

The Backbone Pro is a great controller, but it’s let down by its steep price, paywalled app features and analog thumbsticks that should’ve been Hall Effect.

Expensive

There’s no sugarcoating it: the Backbone Pro is an expensive controller. It’s amazing, yes, but you pay a premium for it. The Backbone Pro retails for $169 / £169 — only a smidge cheaper than the PlayStation Portal ($199), for context. It’s pricier than most of its competitors, such as the Scuf Nomad ($99), the Gamesir G8 Galileo ($99) and, its stablemate, the Backbone One Gen 2 ($99).

Some paywalled app features

On top of the Backbone Pro costing a premium, some of the app’s features are behind a paywall and require a $39 yearly subscription. This includes being able to capture, edit and share 1080p video at 60fps with cloud storage, in-app voice and text chat with friends, and the ability to livestream directly to Twitch, to name a few.

Granted, these features aren’t necessary to use or enjoy the controller, but it would have been nice to have them available from the get-go, especially because a feature like voice chat is readily available (for free) via phone apps like Discord.

Analog thumbsticks only

While I really like the Backbone Pro’s ALPS analog thumbsticks, I wish they utilized Hall Effect sensors like the controller’s triggers do. It feels like a missed opportunity, and something I expected, given how much the controller costs.

Even though the Scuf Nomad is almost half the price of the Backbone Pro, it features Hall Effect thumbsticks. Hall Effect and TMR, thumbsticks are more responsive than analog ones, not to mention customizable. They’re also more durable as they negate the possibility of the controller developing stick drift in the long term.

Backbone Pro review: Verdict

I really wish the Backbone Pro utilized Hall Effect sensors in its thumbsticks, especially because it costs an arm and a leg. Aside from that, though, this is a fantastic controller. It's extremely comfortable for all-day use, which is backed by 40-hour battery life and passthrough charging. I love the new Hall Effect triggers and remappable back buttons that make gameplay smoother and immersive.

Another feature I love is Bluetooth connectivity, because it turns the Backbone Pro into a standard controller that can be used untethered with your console or PC. The controller’s companion app makes customization and accessing all your games in one place very easy, too.

If you’re willing to pay the premium, this is a mighty phone controller that can turn your smartphone or (mini) tablet into a gaming powerhouse. Me? I’m about to become insufferable because the Backbone Pro is going to fuel my Expedition 33 addiction even further.