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spine, the company behind the iPhone controller attachment of the same name, has announced its latest product: a PlayStation version. The new BackBone One PlayStation Edition is an icy white version of the company’s popular device, designed to work with the Remote Play app.
The new Backbone is very similar to the PS5’s DualSense controller, with its color and its transparent buttons. It still has the good features of the original, including a headphone jack. It matches other PS5 accessories, such as the PS5’s Pulse headset.
According to Backbone, the app of the same name has also received a PS-friendly update. It has a special row for PS Remote Play titles. Users can also access the app’s features without the controller connected.
Playing games with the Backbone’s PlayStation controller
I had the chance to test the controller, and it works the same way as the original. It still works with non-PlayStation applications, such as Xbox Cloud Gaming and Apple Arcade titles. It’s essentially still the same controller it’s always been.
I tested it with a few different games on my PlayStation 5. They all seemed to work well on Remote Play. The experience isn’t as smooth as the Xbox Game Pass gameplay experience, but still easy to use. If you want to play your PlayStation games on your phone, the Backbone makes for a more comfortable experience.
I still have a problem with the Backbone One, and I have since I tested the first one: the bottom of the grips are not very ergonomic. While the rest of my fingers are at work in the game, my little fingers slide off the round, smooth part of the grip. This isn’t unique to the PlayStation edition, but it’s disappointing that it’s still part of the controller, especially considering how comfortable the DualSense is.
go mobile
Backbone is now partnering with two of the major players in the console space: Microsoft and Sony. The company also raised $40 million in financing earlier this year. At the time, Backbone CEO Maneet Khaira said, “Backbone will become part of the Xbox and PlayStation ecosystem as an extension of the experience for core gamers.” And it seems he meant this literally.
PlayStation’s approach to mobile isn’t as comprehensive as Xbox’s. Through Game Pass, Xbox offers users dozens of titles on mobile, while PlayStation only offers remote play for its consoles. However, this partnership is another indicator of Sony’s intentions to change that. SIE President Jim Ryan said in a briefing in May that the company is planning aggressive growth on both PC and mobile.
It’s not entirely clear what that looks like yet — whether the company will offer cloud gaming on mobile, dedicated mobile-first games, or both. But a partnership with Backbone seems to point to bigger plans than just Remote Play.
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