Review | PlayStation Backbone One (Android Edition)

The Backbone is a controller attachment that allows you to quickly slot your phone into the middle (via a USB-C connection) and instantly have more control over mobile gaming.

I was given the chance to try out the new Backbone One for Android PlayStation Edition, and it’s fast become my new best friend.

It has a button layout similar to that of a PlayStation controller and allowed me to stream games from my PS5 directly to my phone using the remote play app.

The build quality is excellent, made from tough plastics that feel like they can withstand a bit of wear and tear.
Because the Backbone uses your phone as a screen, the visual quality really depends on what smartphone you have. I have the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and all my games looked great.

The buttons are pretty standard for a controller; four shoulder buttons, two analogue sticks, a d-pad and 4 action buttons labelled with the PlayStation sacred symbols. There’s also start, select and capture buttons and a ‘Backbone’ button that launches the Backbone app.

While the Backbone is powered entirely by your phone, there is a USB-C charging port for keeping your phone juiced up while you play. It also had a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, which is handy as a lot of smart phones have dropped the port entirely.

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The fact that the Backbone allowed me to play Final Fantasy XVI handheld is reason enough for me to love this device. It was definitely a bit of an eye-opening experience being able to play a AAA juggernaut of a game handheld! 

The game controlled pretty similarly to playing it with a Dualsense, the missing touch pad was the only real issue, as it’s used to open your local area map. You can double tap the middle of your phone to act as a ‘touch pad press’, but it’s not ideal.
The controls were fast and responsive which is essential in an action game like FFXVI, and the screen was juuuust big enough to not feel crowded with everything going on.

I don’t think anyone should be expecting this to rival a Dualsense + big screen TV experience. It’s unfair to compare them. This is a workaround to be able to play your PlayStation games on your phone when you are away from your PS5, or when your partner/kid/parent is using the TV.

It took a little getting used to playing a PlayStation game handheld. It’s been over a decade since I last played a PSP. Even though the action buttons are in the same place as the Dualsense, I found my fingers automatically moving to a Nintendo Switch layout. In short, I was hitting cancel instead of enter a lot.

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It’s obviously missing most of the features that make the Dualsense so unique. Haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, the built-in controller mic and speaker, and of course, since the middle is where your phone goes, there’s no touch pad.

The ‘Backbone’ button is handy to launch the Backbone app, but while in-game, it’s a real nuisance. I would find myself hitting it my accident instead of pause; the game would minimise and the Backbone app would open, annoyingly the game doesn’t pause when this happens so I died more than a few times because of it.

You’re going to need a strong WiFi connection for it to work well.
In the room with the WiFi router, it worked really well, as if it was running natively. A room away and I was having issues, the game would freeze for a second or two and then fast forward to catch up, most annoying in cutscenes as the audio cuts in and out.
When I tested it further away still, I was playing happily one minute, and the next, I had disconnected from the PS5.
Now I don’t have a top of the line router or anything so it’s going to be situational, you’re going to have to test out your own set up and find your sweet spots to play. But for my main use case, in bed when my partner is using the TV, it’s pretty hard to fault.