The Backbone Pro is here, and it's quite a monster.
As far as mobile gaming controllers go, Razer has generally led this pack since the form factor's inception. There's one company that has always been keeping pace with Razer, though, and that company is Backbone.
Every time Razer or Backbone releases a new controller, one tends to up the ante. I recently reviewed the Razer Kishi Ultra, and found it to be quite the legendary offering. One big downside, though, was the lack of Bluetooth for some added wireless versatility. Enter the Backbone Pro.
The Backbone Pro is well and truly a "do everything" offering from the firm, complete with a larger ergonomic profile, 40 hours of Bluetooth gameplay, and USB-C connectivity for minimal latency. But boy howdy, it ain't cheap. Regardless, I think it quite easily makes the list for best Xbox cloud gaming controllers, but you'll need to decide for yourself if you need something this pricey.
Backbone Pro spec breakdown
Specification |
Details |
|---|---|
Color |
Black |
Compatibility |
iOS 15 (or later) and Android 10 (or later), Windows PC via Bluetooth |
Connectivity |
Wired via USB-C, and Wireless via Bluetooth |
Design |
Telescopic clamp, with magnetic inserts for size adjustments |
Features |
Analog sticks, standard Xbox inputs with ABXY buttons, two programmable back buttons, screenshot and capture button, dedicated Backbone app button |
Battery & Charging |
USB-C rechargeable, 40 hours of Bluetooth connectivity |
MSRP (Approx.) |
$169.99 |
The Backbone Pro is a comfort powerhouse
The Backbone One and previous iterations of this controller were designed with maximum portability in mind, which I think limited their comfortability for average sized adult hands. Despite this, Backbone was always a frontrunner in this area, building some of the highest-quality options that were also among the most balanced and ergonomic. The Backbone Pro extends this trend.
The Backbone Pro is incredibly comfortable, with larger grips, laser-etched texturing, and very subtly curved triggers. It's simply a gorgeous device, and a harmony of thoughtful engineering and human-focused product design. It's right up there with Microsoft's Xbox controllers for comfort, which is not praise I'm always eager to dish out.
One thing I also really like about the device is how quiet it is, which again shows great attention to detail. If you are gaming in public, the last thing you want to be doing is clicking away annoying everyone — the soft actuation here is a welcome benefit.
The Backbone Pro features a USB-C connector as well as Bluetooth connectivity, making it a good option for both wired and wireless play. When plugged into your phone directly, you shave off a few milliseconds of latency, which can be a noticeable benefit for Xbox Cloud and NVIDIA GFN gaming.
The USB-C connector doesn't pivot, sadly (due to patents held by other companies, I'd wager), but it does have magnetic inserts that can help phones of all shapes and sizes fit more comfortably within the housing. I've found that the Backbone Pro can support even small tablets, even though it's listed primarily as supporting USB-C phones.
It sports pass-through USB-C charging, configurable back buttons, 3.5mm audio, and a dedicated button for launching the Backbone+ app service. We need to talk a little bit more about that last point, though.
But boy oh boy, it ain't cheap
The Backbone Pro is a staggering $170 on Best Buy as of writing. That makes it more expensive than the Razer Kishi Ultra, and more expensive than the average price of the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2. It's also even more expensive in the UK and EU, reaching up to $200 in equivalent currency. That's a little absurd in my view.
What's even more annoying is that features I would consider fairly basic, like direct access to Xbox Cloud Gaming via Xbox Game Pass, and NVIDIA GeForce Now, is only available via a monthly subscription to Backbone+. The app with the Backbone is, again, arguably the best app experience for a device like this that I've used. But I'm not sure I would want to "subscribe" to what is essentially a launcher for another launcher. I think Backbone is trying to have its cake and eat it a bit with that one.
For all its luster and quality, you're going to really, really want the true "premium" experience to justify dropping that kind of money here. Unless you have cash to burn, in which case there's probably not a better experience on the market right now.
With respect to Backbone, it's clear a lot of meticulous engineering love went into this device. It has quite arguably the most "premium" feel of any of the higher-end mobile controllers I've used, with Xbox-level quality buttons, grips, triggers, and joysticks. However, the sticks aren't Hall Effect, which means they could become susceptible to drift over time, just like the Xbox Elite Controller.
However, it does come with Bluetooth support, unlike the Razer Kishi Ultra. I would argue it's also more portable than the Razer Kishi Ultra, which is essentially a full-sized Razer Wolverine V3 cut in half.
There's so much about this controller to love, but I would argue that price ain't one of them.
The Backbone Pro is absolutely for people who want the best of the best
The Backbone Pro is a fantastic mobile controller, and quite easily arguably the best. But "the best" comes at a price, in this case, a very high price.
If the Backbone Pro had been a bit more generous with its app and pricing, I could've easily seen myself giving this top marks, but it's just so difficult to recommend when there are so many alternative options that are also very decent, while also being far, far cheaper. Small companies are stretched, and tariffs are impacting businesses of all shapes and sizes, but they're also impacting consumers too. It's tough to recommend a controller for $180 that you might be only using occasionally.
However, if you are a very heavy mobile gamer, be it natively so or via cloud gaming services, this might be the "Xbox Elite"-style option you've always wanted.
