The Backbone One Mobile Game Controller is 30 percent off right now

Most smartphone games are designed to be played primarily with touch controls. But if you want to stream Xbox or PlayStation games, or if you gravitate towards games with more complex control schemes like Call of Duty: Mobile or Diablo Immortalmobile gamepad as Spine one can make things more convenient.

If that sounds appealing to you, Backbone is running a sale that drops the Lightning-based version of the One down to $70 at Amazon, Best buy, Target and it is own online store. While that’s not an all-time low, it’s still $30 off the controller’s usual current price.

Photo by Matt Smith / Engadget

That’s 30 percent off the Lightning-based version of Backbone’s excellent mobile game controller.

$70 at Amazon

In general, device discounts are uncommon. The offer applies to both the standard black model and the White PlayStation branded model, which are functionally the same but use different icons. The discount technically started earlier this week, but Backbone says it will run until March 10. Unfortunately, the sale doesn’t extend to the USB-C version of the device, so Android users or those planning to upgrade to the iPhone 15 anytime soon will have to pass.

However, if you plan on gaming on an iPhone 14 or older for the next few years, this deal should be worth it. As my colleague Matt Smith noted in his review, the One fits snugly and works instantly with remote streaming apps and almost any iOS game with controller support. It has all the necessary buttons for playing modern games, including pressure-sensitive triggers and analog sticks, along with a built-in headphone jack and charging port. Its clicky face buttons are on the noisy side, and its d-pad is somewhat porous. Still, its rounded handles make it comfortable to hold over time, and it balances its weight better than an Xbox or PS5 pad attached to clip for mobile games. It also comes with a handy companion app that you can use to quickly launch games and launch party chats. If nothing else, it should be a more cost-effective alternative to portable cloud gaming devices like PlayStation Portal.

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