It’s a fantastic device that serves as a far more budget-friendly option to getting a full-blown PC gaming handheld . And, honestly, it’s the perfect Game Pass companion.
As you’d expect, holding this gorgeous transparent controller in my hands immediately made me feel nostalgic for the early Xbox days, but it also made me reflect on how far portable gaming has come in the last 25 years.
I can do things on handhelds and mobile controllers today that I could only dream of in my childhood, and this device is the perfect reminder that we’re still in the middle of that evolution.
This is seriously a fantastic mobile controller
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There is a USB-C port on the bottom of the controller for passthrough charging. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)
I can plug my headphones into the jack on the bottom of the controller. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)
The Backbone One is very sturdy and holds my phone securely. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)
From the minute I pulled the Backbone One Xbox Edition mobile controller out of the box, I was struck by its beautiful transparent casing that comes in a deep Halo green.
It reminds me of the Limited Edition Xbox Crystal Console from 2004.
Overall, this Xbox Edition controller has the same pros and cons pointed out in our original Backbone One review ; build quality is excellent, there’s no wobble, it’s easy to use, and the controls are snappy and responsive.
There’s even a handy Xbox button on the bottom left controller for easy menu navigation.
I was able to install my Pixel 8 phone with its case on without issue, which is something I’ve had problems with on past mobile controllers. However, that might be different on a case-by-case basis.
There weren’t any troubleshooting issues either. I just had to plug my phone in, and the controller worked just as expected with compatible games that offer controller support.
All in all, I highly recommend this Xbox-branded mobile controller to anyone who is interested.
It’s just as beautiful as it is useful.
A modern controller that pays homage to our handheld past while paving for the future
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I enjoyed playing Avowed on my phone over the weekend while using the Backbone One Xbox Edition. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)
The USB-C connection works with compatible Android phones and iPhones. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)
The center connection area is extendable, allowing it to work with a variety of phones. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)
I absolutely love the green transparent casing that lets me see what’s going on inside. (Image credit: Rebecca Spear / Windows Central)
If you lived through the 90s and 2000s, then you know that colorful transparent devices were popular, encasing everything in tech from the small GameBoy Color to the large Apple iMac G3 in see-through glory.
As such, the green transparency of the Backbone One Xbox Edition easily evokes a sense of nostalgia for devices I used in my childhood, in addition to nostalgia for the early days of Halo and Xbox.
In fact, I kept getting flashbacks of using my GameBoy Color while playing on this Xbox Edition mobile controller.
The thing is, there was a distinct difference, back then, between what I’d expect with PC or console games versus the more limited (but still fun) experiences I’d expect with handheld games.
That’s no longer the case.
The Backbone One and today’s PC handhelds (Steam Deck , ROG Ally , Legion Go , etc) allow me to regularly dive into everything from short-yet-impactful indie titles like Night in the Woods to AAA games with intensive graphics like Assassin’s Creed Shadows .
It’s a freeing amount of access that I could only have hoped for as a kid.
We’re not done with this evolution either.
I truly believe that portable gaming will be the main way to play games in the future.
Microsoft has even been pushing this idea to some extent, with its confusing “This is an Xbox” campaign and its xCloud service.
The upcoming next-gen Xbox handheld, with a targeted release of 2027, is yet another example of this shift. And I’m here for it.
