Backbone One

Backbone One? I recently got the non-PlayStation branded one for my iPhone and I love it. I had been wanting one for a while, and finally jumped when they released the Gen 2 version with swappable mounts to support cases. It’s been fantastic for playing SNES games on mobile. I can’t recommend it enough. Only downside would be the included app is hot trash. Always tries to sell you some subscription. Luckily, I haven’t found the need to ever use the app.

Yep, Backbone One. I was waiting a bit too, because it’s not exactly cheap. Eventually I found one that was brand new that someone was selling second hand because they had bought the wrong version. They had the latest iPhone which has a USB-C port, but they had bought the Backbone One with lightning connector. I have a slightly older model. The iPhone 14 Pro. So mine has lightning connector. He got most of his money back that way, and I got a discount compared to buying one in the store. Everybody wins :) Anyway yeah, I’ve been enjoying mine too. I’ve mostly been using it with Nvidia Now or what it’s called. Via the Backbone app. This way I can play some of the games I have in my Steam account on a computer in the cloud using my phone and my Backbone One. I only play at home on WiFi, and I’m on the free plan so I have to wait in a queue and each play session lasts 1 hour and then I have to start a new session. Been re-playing one of the modern Tomb Raider games this way and have been quite enjoying it so far.

I just bought a Backbone controller for my phone and that basically does the same thing for half the cost.

While travelling, being able to have a rather large library of classic games to play, while using the device that I'm already carrying is a huge benefit. While I wish emulation on iOS was a little easier, using Delta/AltStore is not difficult or anything. I've carried a Backbone with me and played a ton of GBA games with touchscreen controls and the backbone, and it's pretty great, depending on the game. Carrying the backbone is a lot smaller than a Nintendo Switch or one of the many larger screened android emulation devices that are now available. This is all up to personal preference obviously, but having one less device to carry is a big plus for me. Game emulation is the one thing that makes me question whether or not it's time to ditch iOS and just get an Android for my daily driver...

This is really the endgame, I think. A modern smartphone with a controller attached is effectively the same as a Steam Deck or Switch 2, just with a different OS. Apple has been pushing higher-end games on phones lately (this year has seen iOS versions of Hitman 3, Sniper Elite 4, and Subnautica), and reports are that the new pro phones run them well (the limiting factor being thermal load). A phone that can run my Steam library is super-compelling -- I travel a decent amount, so being able to chuck something smaller like a Backbone One in my bag vs. a Steam Deck would be a meaningful change.