Backbone just released a new Pro version of its Xbox controller. The Backbone Pro Xbox Edition looks like an improvement over the pre-existing One controller in nearly every way.
It’s still a USB-C shell that wraps around a phone or related device, but the actual controller is now more in league with an actual Xbox gamepad. It features full-size control sticks, hall effect triggers and two customizable back buttons. Most of the inputs can be remapped. This should make plowing through that Game Pass library an absolute breeze.
To that end, this controller has Bluetooth. This means you won’t have to rely on a smartphone or whatever device can physically attach to the gamepad. Game Pass has become available on all kinds of platforms in recent years, from PCs and smart TVs to Meta Quest VR headsets. This opens up all of that. The company promises a simplified “tap and play” experience.
Backbone
This Bluetooth mode does offer 40 hours of battery life per charge. The smartphone powers it when using it in a wired configuration, so it’ll last as long as the phone does. The controllers pair with a proprietary app that allows for the aforementioned remapping and other customization options.
The controller is available right now at brick and mortar locations like Best Buy and digital storefronts such as Amazon. It costs $180 and ships with a free month of Game Pass Ultimate. The only potential downside here is Game Pass itself. The price keeps going up.
