PlayStation Backbone
Phone Streaming On Steroids
(In-person Photo of Playstation Backbone Pre Unboxing, Photo taken by Nia🫧)
Hey my peeps and may the algorithm bring this piece to you.
Backbone transforms your iPhone into the ultimate gaming console. Snap in your phone and play any game or service that supports controllers, including Apple Arcade, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, or even stream from your Xbox, PlayStation or PC. Our Second Generation device features two sets of magnetic adapters that allow for even better phone fit along with a reshaped D-pad which enhances responsiveness, resulting in superior feel and control across multiple genres of gameplay. The Backbone app organizes your content library and game streaming services into an integrated user experience. Uncover a new world of premium gaming in seconds. – Backbone Offical Site
Today, we’ll be reviewing the Playstation Backbone’s real-life performance alongside my purposes, thoughts, suggestions, and who else I think this might be for.
Without further ado, let’s get into this.
(In-person photo of Playstation Backbone, Post Seranwrap Removal, Photo taken by Nia🫧)
Hardware & Initial Setup
The Backbone is designed from the PS5 Dualsense controller and looks almost like a PSP when fully put together.
You attach the controller by pulling both sides apart around your phone, plugging in the charger side first, then snapping in the other side around your phone until it’s snug.
The Backbone should accommodate most cases, but I did need to get another case for mine.
My case was meant for drop protection, so if you’re anything like me and paranoid, a thinner case might not be enough protection. This probably isn’t the device for you.
The face buttons are premium, especially the D-Pad, so much so that I wish to take it off and stick it on every controller I own. It’s that good.
However, I don’t particularly appreciate that the start and home buttons are placed at the bottom of the controller instead of at the top, like standard controllers.
(In-person photo of PlayStation Backbone Box Solo Shot, Photo taken by Nia🫧)
Also, my circle button won’t work in the app when trying to back out of anything, so I have to tap my screen, which is not the hugest deal but annoying, especially from a $100 device.
The controller gives me joy con vibes, mainly because of how small they are, and after long playthroughs, your hands will cramp up, even my hands, which are pretty small.
Setting up the Backbone was pretty straightforward.
What pleasantly surprised me is that you don’t need the Backbone controller exclusively to use the app or the controller on other devices.
Some other features that deserve honorable mention:
Traditional headphone jack
The app offers support, tips, tricks and actively seeks feedback
You can charge your phone while playing although your lightning adapter headphones won’t work
Accommodating for content creators or anyone who wants to record, keep, or share their footage just like on console
(In-person photos of the Initial Unboxing of the Playstion Backbone, Photo taken by Nia🫧)
Expectations vs. Reality
Outside of the marketing mumbo jumbo, I didn’t have that many personal expectations.
My expectations were:
Play my app games with controller access, including Amazon Luna
Portability (nothing bulkier than the size of a controller)
A broader library of games
Some way to record footage
Backbone met all of these for me, especially as far as their promises are concerned.
However, Navigating the app as a whole can be pretty confusing.
The app’s layout is designed similarly to the PS5 home screen.
In the top left corner, we have a quick access menu, a search bar, notifications, messages, and rewards, and on the top right, we can see how many friends we have online, what controller we have connected, the time, wifi bars, and phone percentage and lightning insignia when charging.
(Screenshot of Playstation Backbone App Home Screen, Photo taken by Nia🫧)
Before I rip into the menus, I do have to give a little more praise for making the picture of the game you’re hovering over the background until you click on it.
It’s a small detail Playstation has been doing for a while but I’m a sucker for details.
Anyway, the opening list of games is our library.
While it does house any games and apps you’ve been playing, it also has a couple of suggestion games, which is all well and good until you realize you’re not even allowed to take them off, almost like Backbone is trying to force them on you.
Also, because so many games offered have dedicated launchers, i.e., GeForce Now, you have to make sure you have enough storage for whatever game you want to play and its launcher.
Most launchers won’t require this, but it is something to remember.
After your library, there are 18 additional categories to explore; which in my opinion, is too many.
I wish they allowed players to fully customize their home screens and at least kept some unnecessary categories on separate tabs, so if I want to sort through them later, I can.
(In-person Photo of PlayStation Backbone Post Unboxing, Photo originally in ‘What’s in my Purse’ post by Nia🫧)
Wrap Up
All in all, I genuinely love this device despite its quirks and overpricing.
I think PlayStation understands its niche and has firmly staked itself as a legitimate portable gaming option.
However, I can only honestly recommend this device to gaming beginners who exclusively game on their phones, hardcore gamers with or without a console, or anyone looking for this portable high-end gaming experience, Especially until PlayStation irons out a lot of quirks I mentioned.
I hope this post helps you with your buying decisions.
Thank you so much for the read. Support me :). And as always I’ll catch you guys in the next one.
