Sony partners with Backbone to give mobile gamers a tailored Playstation experience on the go

The Backbone One for Android just launched about a month ago, and with it, gave anyone with a Google, Samsung, or other Android phone a fantastic alternative to the GameSir X2. Along the launch of the mobile gaming controller, a $65 USD in value of free Stadia Pro, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and Discord Nitro were given away to promote it.

Now, Sony has partnered directly with Backbone to create an accessory that PlayStation gamers will appreciate. We actually saw this device last year and thought that maybe the gaming giant was working on its own to pair with PS Remote Play as an alternative to the PlayStation Vita and as a companion to the PlayStation 5, but it looks like it was a collaborative design all along.

The Backbone One – PlayStation Edition is meant for use with Apple’s iOS devices (like the iPhone 13 Pro/Max), and features the same colors, face buttons, and overall design as Sony’s new DualSense controller for its latest generation console. It’s collapsible while not in use, and has a Lightning charging pass-through port for your phone.

You’ll also be happy to know that it has something that’s become incredibly rare in recent years – a 3.5mm headphone jack! While those familiar with these sorts of accessories will already know that this doesn’t come with an internal battery of its own (it’s just a controller that interfaces with your phone), I feel the need to mention this for those new to the space and who may be interested in expanding their gameplay options.

You can download the Backbone app from the Apple App Store for additional functionality, but don’t be mistaken – this isn’t just and only for PS Remote Play usage! You can use any Backbone device to play other things too like cloud gaming services (Stadia, Nvidia GeForce NOW, etc.) as well as App Store games built with gamepad support.

The Backbone One will cost $99.99 USD and is available in the US, UK, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Mexico, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the Netherlands with other locations gaining access to it as time progresses. I really hope Android users get a PlayStation version of this device as well, as this would scratch my itch for a new PlayStation Vita, which I’m almost certain will never happen.