WIRED spotlights top phone controllers, names Backbone the best pick

1. Backbone One USB-C

Mobile gaming is still the biggest slice of the business, and that is why this controller matters so much. Newzoo forecasts $103.0 billion in mobile game revenue in 2025, or 55% of a $188.8 billion global games market, with 3.58 billion players worldwide, even as growth cools in saturated regions like Eastern Asia. Backbone One USB-C is the cleanest answer if you want a snap-on controller for Android, iPhone 15, iPhone 16, or iPhone 17 without turning your phone into a setup project. Apple lists it at $99.95, and Backbone says people who bought before September 22, 2023 may need a firmware update for compatibility.

2. Backbone One Lightning

If you are still on an iPhone 14 or earlier, this is the model that keeps your older device in the conversation. Backbone says its Lightning version works with most iPhone 14-and-earlier phones running iOS 17 or later, which makes it the practical pick for anyone who wants a console-style grip without replacing a perfectly good handset. That matters because the biggest pain point in mobile accessories is compatibility, and this version is built to avoid that dead-end for older iPhone owners.

3. Backbone Pro Mobile Gaming Controller

This is the premium step-up for players who want the Backbone idea to feel more like a luxury handheld than a simple clip-on accessory. Apple lists the Backbone Pro Mobile Gaming Controller at $169.95, which puts it squarely in upgrade territory, not impulse-buy territory. The important signal here is that Backbone now spans both portable and premium tiers, so the brand is no longer just selling convenience, it is selling a more polished mobile gaming identity.

4. Backbone for cloud gaming and remote play

If your real library lives on a console or PC, this is where Backbone earns its keep. Backbone says it supports cloud gaming and remote play across Xbox, PlayStation, Steam, Apple Arcade, GeForce NOW, and Amazon Luna, which makes it useful whether you are jumping into a streamed AAA session or a lighter pick-up-and-play night. The controller will not fix a bad connection, but it does solve the mushy touch-screen feel and cramped input problem that can make cloud sessions feel like a compromise.

5. Backbone for native mobile games

Backbone is not just for pretending your phone is a console, it is also a smart fit for the mobile games people already spend time on every day. The company points to controller-compatible titles including Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, Genshin Impact, Stardew Valley, Roblox, and Minecraft, which covers a lot of the modern mobile mix from competitive shooters to long-session sandbox games. If you want the upgrade to feel worthwhile, this is the test: does it make the games you already open more comfortable, faster to control, and less dependent on sweaty thumbs?

6. Apple Arcade as the best home for a controller

Apple’s ecosystem shows why this category keeps growing. Apple Arcade is marketed as a service with hundreds of games, all without ads or in-app purchases, and Apple added seven new titles in January 2025 with more releases following in February. That steady stream of controller-friendly games is the strongest argument for buying into Backbone at all, because it gives you a place where the hardware does not just look nice, it immediately changes how the game feels in your hand.