Backbone

Market position

Backbone positions its products against traditional platform-exclusive console hardware by consolidating cloud gaming, remote play and native mobile games into one portal, and holds official partnerships with both Microsoft (from 2021) and Sony (from 2022). Its controllers are covered in mainstream technology press and have accumulated over 110,000 customer reviews at an average 4.8 rating on the company's own store.

Official hardware partnerships with both Xbox and PlayStation, a companion app that aggregates more than 10,000 games across cloud, remote play and native stores, direct port connection for low latency instead of Bluetooth-only pairing on the One, and a claimed portfolio of 50+ patents and innovations.

Technology

The Backbone One connects directly to a phone's Lightning or USB-C port for a low-latency wired link with pass-through charging and a wired mode for PCs, laptops and tablets; magnetic adapters on the 2nd generation accommodate most phone cases and larger handsets. The Backbone Pro adds full-sized ALPS joysticks, hall effect triggers, rear buttons, remappable controls with saved profiles, Bluetooth Low Energy wireless operation with up to 40 hours of battery, and a 3.5mm headset jack. The Backbone app layers a cross-platform game library, launcher, emulator for user-supplied retro files, firmware updates, joystick calibration and TouchSync controller mapping for Android titles. The company cites 50+ research studies, 50+ patents and innovations and 10,000+ part iterations in its engineering process.

Go-to-market

Direct-to-consumer sales via backbone.com with free shipping and 30-day returns to the US, Australia, Canada, the EU, New Zealand and the UK, alongside retail distribution through Best Buy, Amazon, Target, GameStop, Verizon and the Microsoft Store. Marketing leans on platform partnerships (Xbox, PlayStation, Nvidia, Twitch) and collaborations with creators and celebrities, including Kojima Productions, Post Malone, MrBeast, Marshmello and Nadeshot.

Mobile, console and PC players who want to play native phone titles, cloud-streamed games or remotely played console and PC libraries on iOS and Android devices; the Pro line targets players seeking console-grade controls and multi-screen play.

Geography

Headquartered in Atherton, California with an office in Seattle, Washington; serves customers worldwide, with free shipping offered to the US, Australia, Canada, the EU, New Zealand and the UK.

History

Backbone launched the Backbone One controller on October 27, 2020, initially selling it through limited drops. In March 2021 it integrated Nvidia GeForce Now, and in June 2021 partnered with Microsoft to bring Xbox Cloud Gaming to iOS, joining the Designed for Xbox partner hardware program. After Apple's September 2021 iPhone 13 Pro launch, Backbone released an optional adapter and a free open-source 3D-printable file for better fitment. Backbone+ launched in November 2021, accompanied by a Twitch partnership integrating IGDB data and in-app streaming. A $40 million Series A led by Index Ventures was announced in February 2022, followed in July 2022 by a PlayStation-branded controller developed with Sony's design team. The Backbone One 2nd Generation arrived in 2023 with a refined D-pad, improved phone stability and magnetic adapters, and USB-C support for iOS and Android; retail distribution expanded to Best Buy, Amazon, Target, GameStop and Verizon. Limited editions followed with Kojima Productions (Death Stranding, January 2024) and Post Malone (June 2024). In September 2024 Backbone announced iPhone 16 compatibility and Apple featured the controller in its keynote. The Backbone Pro launched in May 2025.