The Backbone One Controller Is Now Available to Android Users - IGN

We knew that Backbone was gearing up to motorboat a mentation of its mobile gaming controller to enactment connected Android devices, with preorders opening arsenic aboriginal arsenic July. And today, the institution has officially announced that the Backbone One for Android is disposable now.

Released successful 2020, the Backbone One is simply a bone-shaped mobile controller that attaches straight to your smartphone. Unlike immoderate controllers that necessitate a Bluetooth connection, the Backbone One connects to your telephone by plugging it into the applicable connector (Lightning oregon USB-C) connected the close broadside of the controller — a conception akin to that of attaching Joy-Cons to your Nintendo Switch.

Of course, this is not the archetypal clip Backbone One offered Android support. Last year, the institution launched Backbone+, a subscription work that not lone includes improved crippled signaling features, but allows users the enactment to usage the controller to play games connected tablets similar the iPad arsenic good arsenic Android devices, but lone if you had the applicable USB cablegram to link the 2 devices together.

The merchandise of Backbone for Android comes months aft Razer released a revision of their Kishi mobile gaming controller that looks akin to the Backbone One. In my review, I noted that the Razer Kishi V2 was "a bully alternate for Android users that privation a Backbone-like accessory for mobile and unreality gaming," but immoderate of my biggest criticisms were the deficiency of a headphone jack, the deficiency of autochthonal enactment for Call of Duty: Mobile, and the sluggish show successful the Kishi V2's companion app, Nexus.

In comparison, the Backbone One for Android offers a headphone jack, similar its iOS counterpart. IGN tin besides corroborate that the Backbone for Android offers autochthonal controller enactment for Call of Duty: Mobile. Another favoritism is that the Kisi V2 includes aggregate adapters successful the packaging that acceptable into the instrumentality to guarantee the controller is future-proofed for newer phones. Although Backbone does not connection the aforesaid thing, the institution did marque an adapter past year to code the camera bump contented with the iPhone 13 Pro smartphones.

As noted connected Backbone's authoritative website, the Android mentation of the controller is compatible with most Android phones. While the listing does not presently notation the recently-released Pixel 7 series, Backbone told IGN that the Backbone One for Android does enactment the latest procreation of Pixel smartphones.

The Backbone One for Android, conscionable similar the iOS version, costs $99.99 and is presently disposable connected Backbone's authoritative website. Sadly, Android users tin lone take achromatic arsenic its colour option, with the PlayStation-themed variant exclusive to iOS users astatine the moment. The listing notes that shipping is slated to statesman successful December, but if you preordered 1 earlier November 1, you volition person it earlier the extremity of the month.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor astatine IGN. You tin travel her connected Twitter @TayNixster.