The Best Game Controller For Phones Gets A Massive Discount For Black Friday

Multiple models of the excellent Backbone One smartphone controller are on sale for just $70 (normally $100) during Black Friday. My Best Buy Plus/Total members can get the Backbone for only $65. Keep in mind that you can use either the PlayStation or Xbox editions of the Backbone for Xbox Cloud Gaming and PlayStation Remote Play.

• Backbone One PlayStation (USB-C) — $70 ($100)
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• Backbone One PlayStation (Lightning) — $70 ($100)
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• Backbone One Xbox (USB-C) — $70 ($100)
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• Backbone One Xbox (Lightning) — $70 ($100)
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The Backbone One is one of our favorite smartphone controllers, featuring great buttons and analog sticks, a 3.5mm headphone jack, simple setup, and more. Like other split mobile pads, the Backbone slots on either end of your smartphone, turning it into a Nintendo Switch-like handheld that can play Android, iOS, and cloud-streaming games. Best of all, it doesn’t need charging, so you can plug it in and start playing anytime. You can even charge your phone while playing thanks to the charging port passthrough.

Backbone Xbox Edition and Backbone PlayStation Edition

The Backbone comes in PlayStation and Xbox editions that feature color schemes and button labels that match the console they’re based on. The USB-C models work with Android devices and the latest iPhone 15 line. Meanwhile, the Lightning models are compatible with iPhones prior to iPhone 15.

Backbone controllers are popular and often sell out during sales like this, so we recommend picking one up while they are still available.

Follow GameSpot’s Black Friday 2023 coverage for more deals on controllers and other gaming accessories.