The Backbone Pro game controller that launched Tuesday wraps around your iPhone and connects via USB-C, but it can also connect to your Mac or iPad via cable or Bluetooth. Plus, it adds remappable rear buttons to the standard mix of sticks, triggers, D-pad and more.
Backbone already makes the best iPhone game controller, and my hands-on experience with this new premium version found that it takes mobile gaming to a whole new level.
Backbone Pro review: The best iPhone game controller gets better
Mobile gaming long since moved past Angry Birds and Bejeweled. You can play the new Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown on your iPhone, Capcom brought multiple Resident Evil games to iOS, there’s the brilliant NBA 2K25, plus a whole lot more on Apple Arcade. And don’t forget cloud-gaming services. The quality of the games you can take with you anywhere is amazing.
My iPhone includes a 6.7-inch screen, so the high-resolution graphics in AAA games look amazing. It’s not the same as gaming on a big TV, but you can’t bring that large screen with you in the car, on a plane, to the break room at work, etc. The best gaming console is the one you have with you.
You can play all those AAA games on your handset’s touchscreen, but you’ll enjoy yourself much more using an iPhone game controller. Physical buttons, thumbsticks, triggers and more are far easier to use than on-screen ones. That makes for less frustration and more fun.
The Backbone One used to be the best option for a wrap-around iPhone game controller. But now there’s the Backbone Pro with extra premium features for those who want to level up.
Backbone Pro is built for players who demand more — more precision, more comfort, more freedom. Designed with full-sized ALPS joysticks, rear buttons, and a larger ergonomic shape, it delivers pro-level control for every session.
- Packed with premium features
- Functional but also comfortable to hold
- Designed for handsets but can also be used with tablets, laptops and more
- Expensive
Table of contents: Backbone Pro review
- Backbone Pro iPhone game controller: The best gets better
- Buttons, thumbsticks, triggers and more
- Play on iPhone, iPad and Mac
- The proof is in the gaming
- Backbone Pro review: Final thoughts
- Pricing & availability
Backbone Pro iPhone game controller: The best gets better
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
You can think of the Backbone Pro as an Xbox or PlayStation controller that’s been cut in half, then a telescoping bar inserted in the middle. The resulting accessory wraps around your iPhone (or Android) with a USB-C connector plugged into the handset’s data port. The combination looks a lot like a Nintendo Switch.
The telescoping bar expands to fit a range of handset sizes. I use an iPhone 16 Plus, just about the largest one Apple makes, and it slips in easily. Plus, the controller comes with swappable plastic inserts to make it better fit a range of devices, and even play without removing your phone case… as long as it’s relatively thin.
Backbone Pro is slightly larger than earlier iPhone game controllers from this company, which helps make it comfortable to hold. At 7.0 inches by 3.75 inches by 1.8 inches, it’s still very portable, but it doesn’t fit in the case made specifically for the Backbone One.
Really, this company put so much thought into its premium controller. That even includes a sweat-resistant coating so your hands don’t slip.
Buttons, thumbsticks, triggers and more
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
I’ve spent more hours than I can count with a game controller in my hands, and Backbone Pro is as usable and as comfortable to hold as any of them. My fingers naturally fall into the right places, and nothing feels awkward.
Of course, the iPhone game controller uses the standard layout, with left and right thumbsticks, a D-pad on the left, AYAB buttons on the right, two triggers on top… it’s all there.
A lot of effort went into these controls. The thumbsticks are console quality, and the XYAB buttons are nicely clicky without being loud. The triggers are larger than on previous models from this company.
Plus, the new Backbone Pro adds a pair of remappable rear buttons for those who want extras. The controller comes with an app that lets you reassign another controller button to either of these. To understand the advantage, consider that when I play Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, I have to take my finger off the left thumbstick to change weapons, which means I have to stop running. With this controller, I can assign my favorite weapons to the back buttons and switch while I run and gun.
The same Backbone application lets you remap the other buttons — I usually do this to change around the XYAB buttons to the placement I prefer. The app lets you create Controller Profiles with all these button remaps so you can easily change them between games.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Play on iPhone, iPad and Mac
I have gone on holiday with two game controllers: one for iPhone and one for iPad. That’s not necessary anymore with the Backbone Pro. It can connect to your Mac or iPad either over Bluetooth or with a cable connected to the controller’s USB-C port.
To be sure, I connected the controller to my iPad with Bluetooth, then with a USB-C cable, and both worked just fine. This flexibility is one of the absolute best features of the Backbone Pro.
When attached to an iPhone, the controller draws power through the USB-C port. The same goes when you’re wired to another computer over a USB-C cable.
A Bluetooth connection means a battery, though, and Backbone says the one in its new controller runs for 40 hours on a single charge. Juice it back up by plugging the USB-C port into a power source.
You can also use the USB-C port to charge your iPhone when gaming on your handset.
The proof is in the gaming
There’s a huge variety of games playable with the Backbone Pro. Apple built all the software needed for a game controller into iOS, iPadOS and macOS, so if a game supports any controller, it supports this one. Whether that’s standalone games, Apple Arcade titles, cloud gaming services, or whatever. That’s a lot.
To confirm this, I played Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light on my iPhone with the Backbone Pro, then I switched to the Amazon Luna cloud-gaming service and enjoyed some Lego Star Wars. To test Apple Arcade support, I played some Oceanhorn 2 — the best RPG on Apple’s gaming service.
I then connected the game controller to my iPad via Bluetooth and played some Diablo Immortal.
All of these went brilliantly, both wired and wireless. I couldn’t be happier.
Backbone Pro review: Final thoughts
I can think of no way you can improve your mobile gaming more than by getting a wrap-around iPhone game controller. And there’s no better option for that than the new Backbone Pro.
The design is comfortable and highly functional. But the best feature is that it supports both wired and wireless connectivity, so it can be used with your iPhone but also your iPad and Mac. It’s effectively two controllers in one.
★★★★★
Pricing & availability
The Backbone Pro is a premium product, with a lengthy list of high-end features, and it’s priced accordingly: $169.99.
The game controller launched Tuesday.
Buy it from: Backbone
The Pro does not replace the Backbone One in the company’s lineup. Instead, it’s the new premier version. Those who don’t need all the additional features can get the standard model for $99.99. Don’t miss my review!
If both are out of your price range, I recommend the GameSir X5 Lite, which I recently reviewed and really liked, especially the low cost.
Backbone Pro is built for players who demand more — more precision, more comfort, more freedom. Designed with full-sized ALPS joysticks, rear buttons, and a larger ergonomic shape, it delivers pro-level control for every session.
- Packed with premium features
- Functional but also comfortable to hold
- Designed for handsets but can also be used with tablets, laptops and more
- Expensive
Backbone provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out more in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.
