Mobile gaming has come a long way since the era of the Nintendo Game Boy and Sega Game Gear, and thanks to manufacturers like Backbone, it feels like a new era is approaching for mobile gaming controllers and devices.
Right now, you can use one of the best Android or iPhone handsets and easily load up a game from their prospective App Stores that could look and play as good as a home console from 10 years ago. But without a controller attached to your Android or iPhone, they don’t play well. This is where manufacturers like Razer, GameSir, and Backbone have dominated the market with their own takes on gaming controllers.
Backbone, first established in 2018 by Maneet Khaira after seeing the potential of the controllers whilst working at Google, has been able to leverage a bunch of partnerships to set it apart from the rest. Its Backbone One controller is compatible with the best Android or iPhone devices, letting you use your handset like a Nintendo Switch 2. It’s also brought out variants of the Backbone One, such as a PlayStation edition, a Death Stranding variant, and now, an Xbox Halo Edition.
Available from April 3 for $109.99 via Backbone’s site and Best Buy Drops, I sat down with Backbone’s CEO, Khaira to discuss how this partnership with Microsoft came to be that led to this new edition.
We also spoke about how he sees Backbone fitting into the game controller market in the future, especially as foldable phones are starting to become more available and affordable.
Staying connected, 24 years later
“We wanted to do something special with Xbox that paid homage to the original Xbox Halo Special Edition,” Khaira tells me. “And you see that in certain aspects of the design where the translucent green colorway is a one-to-one match with what’s on the original Xbox — we wanted it to feel special for Xbox fans.”
Back when the very first Xbox console launched in 2001 in America and 2002 for the rest of the world, a rare Halo Edition debuted soon after, in a fluorescent green aesthetic. Khaira recalls how this was the main inspiration for this newest Backbone One partnership. “The Xbox 20th anniversary controller had that sort of translucent look and feel, and that was one of the inspirations for it. This has been in the works for a while, and we put our heads together to figure out what would make for a unique design.”
With Microsoft still the proprietor of the Halo franchise, Khaira was quick to mention that the company also had a hand in the design of this controller. “They co-designed it with us, so we worked closely to figure out how we wanted it to look. They helped us with the green so it would match the original Xbox, which was an idea we both came up with.”
Staying connected – for another 24 years?
It’s no secret that Xbox sees a future in handheld gaming that’s not limited to its Cloud Gaming service. I asked Khaira whether this collaboration was also Microsoft’s way of putting one toe into the dedicated handheld space. “It’s interesting — we’re at this unique crossroads where on one hand, you’re now able to play an entire back catalog of titles on your phone through apps like emulators, because of the changes to App Store policy,” Khaira explains. “So you’re now able to run retro titles on a phone and also stream games from the cloud via GeForce Now and Game Pass. So I think there’s an interesting duality to this design where it’s both retro and forward-looking.”
Another part of Backbone’s appeal is how the controller can access a bunch of cloud gaming services, something Khaira wanted to explain further. “Phil Spencer recently shared that a double-digit percentage of all time spent on Xbox is now time spent streaming games from the cloud. That’s a big step from where we were just a couple of years ago and really exciting for us, where only a small number of people had tried cloud gaming or used it recurrently.
Khaira continues. “Game Pass lets people play games almost anywhere, so we want to help enable a great last-mile experience. It’s one thing to play games on all these screens, you need some form of input to be able to enjoy them and play them in the way that they were meant to be played. Ultimately, you’re going to need good hardware and software to achieve that, which is where Backbone comes in.”
A phone, an iPod, and a PSP in one
I followed up on Khaira’s point of emulators. Back in April 2024, Apple loosened up its rules on retro game emulators for its App Store, meaning apps that could emulate gaming consoles and handhelds from the past could now be made available for iPhone and iPad users. Of course, this meant that controllers like Backbone One could instantly work on these apps, such as Delta, Gamma, Provenance, and more. This is something that clearly took Khaira by surprise at the time.
“It was really unexpected. I didn’t expect it to take off in that way,” Khaira reveals. “Kids are posting TikTok videos of themselves playing all these like old Nintendo games, and it’s really cool that our devices are being used for that. I would be lying if I said we imagined every single use case and had some North Star vision that ended up playing out exactly as we had intended. So we were just mostly surprised and, I guess, delighted by it.”
Indeed, you can open up the App Store and, after a few taps after installing PPSSPP, can play games like Sonic Advance and GTA: Liberty City Stories on one of the best iPhones. Yet Khaira looks at this relatively new functionality on the best iPhones with admiration. “I think it also speaks to the breadth and versatility of what you can now run on a phone. Our goal is to just centralize all of App Store gaming, remote play, cloud gaming, and retro gaming in a single app. And that’s precisely what we’re offering today. So the fact that you can jump between an emulated title on PSP and shift instantly to playing Roblox and then playing Halo Infinite on Xbox Cloud Gaming, that’s really amazing to us.”
Transforming Backbone into a Platform
Looking at the best mobile controllers for Android and iPhone, there are countless you can buy right now for much less than what Backbone offers. For example, GameSir offers one for $21, but this Backbone One: Xbox Edition will be available for $109.99. I asked Khaira how Backbone approaches these competitors to help it set it apart from the rest. “We see our value add on a few different fronts. One is that we try to have the best in class experience, and that doesn’t just consist of hardware, but also software, so all of Backbone’s devices are heavily vertically integrated.”
Khaira continues. “When you buy one of our devices, you don’t just buy a premium device, but you also get access to our app ecosystem and all the features inside of that. Everything from features like, you know, direct cloud gaming integration, connecting your Xbox account and being able to pick up where you left off instantly, to be able to stream games to Twitch, to, you know, all the other features that we offer inside of the experience today.”
Another note is that Khaira wants Backbone to be more than just offering a controller and an app. “The other one is that we don’t intend to just build a product — we want to build a platform, so we’re investing in the long-term of the ecosystem.”
I asked Khaira to explain further on this, as he wants to see Backbone as an ecosystem, much like Microsoft and Apple. “So when you buy one of our products, you’re not just buying a device that the company sells to you and then sort of forgets about after they sell it to you. Because of our continuous relationship with the customer through the app, they’re investing in an ecosystem.” Khaira explains further. “So for example, we had lots of cool things come out via the app. Backbone One users got the opportunity to upgrade to the second-generation hardware just by participating in the ecosystem. Things like that are made possible through these continuous experiences we’re able to create.”
Finally, Khaira made sure to mention that the quality of the Backbone app is incredibly important to him, and the company as a whole. “Thirdly, we also view ourselves as wanting to become just an amazing software platform for playing games long-term. With the heavy investments that we’ve made in the app, it’s one of the most popular game launcher apps on the iOS app store. And those investments are starting to pay off where people are using our app even when they don’t have their device connected and getting value out of it, just as a way of basically organizing all their mobile games and launching them and having a single entry point for them.”
A soft launch for the Xbox handheld?
With Xbox boss Phil Spencer clearly looking ahead to how Xbox can fit into the PC Handheld market, Khaira sees a space for Backbone.
“We broadly define handheld gaming, because it’s not just about mobile,” he explains. “We’re talking about handhelds. On one end of the market you have the Steam Deck — powerful, immersive, but big, expensive, and tied to WiFi to have connectivity. In the middle, you have streaming devices like the PlayStation Portal that are cheaper but limited to specific services.”
“We don’t intend to just build a product, we want to build a platform”
Maneet Khaira – Backbone CEO
By contrast, Backbone wants to be the most accessible option at around $100. “Mobile silicon is evolving so fast that other devices struggle to keep up,” Khaira explains. “An iPhone 16 Pro Max is capable of running games incredibly well. If you rank devices as good, better, or best, Backbone may fall into the good category. But pairing an iPhone with a Backbone controller can outperform pricier handhelds out there — you’re turning a $999 phone into a $1,100 gaming experience.”
I pressed further with Khaira on this, as there’s a clear risk that the best PC handheld consoles like Steam Deck and ROG Ally could push players towards using Xbox locally — could Backbone counter that? “These aren’t mutually exclusive to us. Many Backbone customers own consoles, a Steam Deck, or both.” Khaira wants to emphasize the flexibility of what Backbone offers. “You may want to use a Steam Deck at home but prefer using our controller for PlayStation Remote Play. Different devices serve different options, and we just want to give players a choice.”
Where can Backbone go?
With much of the discussion leaning toward choice and game streaming, I asked Khaira if Backbone was looking into its own streaming service. However, he was quick to shut that down. “At this time, we don’t offer a game streaming service,” he says. “We support providers like Xbox and Nvidia who are investing heavily in that space to enable them to reach these players” Kharia further explains. “Our focus is making sure the end-to-end experience of playing those games is really good.”
With more foldable phones coming to the Android market, as well as rumors of Apple preparing a foldable iPhone in 2026, I asked if Backbone was preparing a third-generation controller. “The second-generation hardware already supports a wide array of devices,” Khaira explains. “Our USB-C model works with both iOS and Android devices, eliminating the need for separate versions.”
He was quick to mention the magnetic adapter too, included with every Backbone One. “It also supports phones with cases thanks to an included magnetic adapter, which works with foldables as well,” he says. “So the second-generation hardware works really well with these, as well as our app and our app ecosystem, ensuring you get the same experience on iOS or Android.”
Looking back(bone) to the future
As our chat wrapped up, I asked Khaira what he’s most proud of since founding Backbone in 2018.
“There are definitely a few,” he says. “We talked about emulators briefly — that felt like a black swan event. We didn’t know that something like that would occur, as we thought only a handful of people were interested in it, but we were taken aback by the widespread excitement.”
Another surprise was remote play with Backbone. “We would be remiss if we didn’t say that we were surprised at the popularity of remote play as a class of experience. The idea of people taking their console experience and streaming it to their phone seemed radical,” he explains. “But through Xbox and PlayStation, the experience can be great. You can leave the house, switch on your console, and play as if it’s running from the cloud. In some cases, it can run better depending on the wireless network you’re connected to.”
Khaira realized that remote play needed a controller, which Backbone was more than happy to help with. “We didn’t expect it to blow up how it did, but we realized that it was a chicken and egg problem. You needed to have a controller that made it possible to play the game on the phone and a software experience around it. That’s where we came in.”
He’s also amazed at how cloud gaming has already evolved. “Another one is the content that’s coming to cloud gaming services. That you can play Call of Duty: Black Ops on your phone is mind-blowing to me.”
Backbone was essentially founded on this shift away from local gaming. “That was the basis of the company. We saw early demos of games being streamed on old Android phones and thought, “This is unbelievable!” Now, players buy one of our products and they’ll play Fortnite or Halo on their phone for the first time and lose their minds.” Looking ahead, Khaira believes gaming will follow music and movies into streaming. “We believe that games, much like music and movies, will also move to streaming as well. It’s just a question of when.”
It feels as if we’re only at level one of Backbone’s ambitions. Not only is the controller and its app making an impression, but Khaira clearly believes in growing the brand into an ecosystem. I’m excited to see where the gaming controller space is heading with these improvements.
The future of mobile gaming — and Backbone, is wide open, and potentially clear for the taking.
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springboard@darylbaxter.com (Daryl Baxter)
