The awkwardly named Designed for Xbox: Backbone One Xbox Edition will transform your iPhone or Android phone into a mobile game machine that’s basically an Xbox controller with a display.
“Enjoy your games with an enhanced D-pad for precise control and magnetic adapters that secure your phone in place, even with your phone case on,” Xbox Hardware Program Manager Ethan Rothamel writes. “Quickly access your Xbox dashboard with a single press of the Xbox button and jump straight into games like Halo Infinite and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. All this, with a look that captures the classic Xbox design, featuring a stunning translucent green inspired by the original Xbox.”
Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox
Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott’s Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!
“*” indicates required fields
This looks pretty interesting, though I immediately wondered whether I could get it to work with my iPad Mini, since the large screen would help. But just getting your hands off the screen would help, and the Backbone is supposed to deliver low latency and responsive controls, and using an Xbox-type controller with Xbox games via Remote Play or Xbox Cloud Gaming on the go is very interesting.
The Designed for Xbox: Backbone One Xbox Edition works with USB-C-based iPhones and Android devices running Android 6.0 or newer. It’s available now in the U.S. for $110 and will be coming to other markets next month.
