This Prime Day deal on the Backbone One controller might finally tempt me to buy it
I've been waiting months for a price cut on this smartphone pro controller, today is my lucky day.
I've seen a lot of adverts pop up lately for the Backbone One smartphone gaming controller, and after seeing it in person over at Samsung headquarters a few weeks ago, I was around 70% convinced to buy it for gaming on my S24 Ultra. But as much as I've always wanted one of these pro smartphone controllers, I could never justify the $99.99 price. Amazon Prime Day has come to my rescue, with 30% off the Backbone One (USB-C) now only $69.99 / £69.99.
If you're not familiar with the Backbone One, it's a gaming controller that connects to your iOS or Android smartphone (or rather incorporates it) for a super sleek and comfortable handheld gaming experience. We rarely see the Backbone listed for under $99, which is a pretty steep price to pay for a smartphone accessory – and more expensive than most of the best PS5 controllers on the market. So this Prime Day deal is a must-buy if you've been waiting as patiently as I have.
The Backbone One works best if you have a console that you can connect to remotely with your phone, such as the PlayStation 5 via the remote play feature or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with cloud gaming. You can also use it as an iPad gaming controller too. There are two connection types, lightning or USB-C, and the controller comes in either standard black or the white PlayStation edition with shape buttons as opposed to letter buttons (X, Y, B, A).
The best deals today on the Backbone One
Backbone One (2nd gen, USB-C) $69.99 at Amazon
Save $30: This is the second generation of the Backbone One controller and it comes in two colours, the Playstation White edition above, or there's the black edition (below).
This is the USB-C model, which makes it perfect for use with Android phones as well as the iPhone 15 series.
Price check: Best Buy: $69.99
Backbone One Black (2nd gen, USB-C) $69.99 at Amazon
Save $30: The second generation Backbone One controller with XBOX and Switch-style buttons (X, Y, B, A) as opposed to the PlayStation shapes. Annoyingly, I personally prefer the black edition of the Backbone but I'm a PlayStation gamer. I really wish they had a black PlayStation edition.
This is the USB-C model, which makes it perfect for use with Android phones as well as the iPhone 15 series.
Price check: Best Buy: $69.99
Backbone One (1st gen, Lightning) $49.99 at Best Buy
Save $50: This model is slightly cheaper than the 2nd generation version and is compatible only with iPhone models pre-iPhone 15 that use lightning connectivity to charge.
Prefer the Black edition Backbone? I got you.
Price check: Amazon: $99.99
Backbone One (2nd gen, lightning) $69.99 at Amazon
Save $30: This is the second generation of the Backbone One controller in the lightning format, compatible only with iPhone models pre-iPhone 15 that use lightning connectivity to charge.
There's the same deal on the PlayStation White edition too.
Price check: Best Buy: $69.99
Missed out on the deals above? Don't worry. We're tracking the best deals and lowest prices on the Backbone One below, using our clever deals widget. It updates 24/7 and shows the best prices in your region, so be sure to bookmark this page if you're waiting for the right time to buy.
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Beth is Creative Bloq’s Ecommerce Writer and has the fun job of finding you the very best prices and deals on creative tech. Beth kicked off her journalistic career writing for Digital Camera World, and has since earned bylines on TechRadar too. With a Masters degree in Photography, Beth loves getting to tinker with new cameras, especially camera phones, as the resident Samsung fan on the team. Her background working as a tester for CeX let her play around with all kinds of weird and wonderful products, including robots, and she’s recently gotten into 3D printing too. Outside of CB, you’ll find her gaming on her PS5, photographing local shows under the alias Bethshootsbands, and making TikToks of her dog, Tilly.