Just a month after its launch, the Backbone Pro Xbox Edition is on sale for a substantial discount at Amazon, Best Buy, and Backbone’s online storefront. Normally $180, the officially licensed transparent green mobile controller is up for grabs for $145. Alternatively, you can get the standard edition black Backbone Pro for $135 (was $170) or the Target-exclusive pink edition for $140 (was $170).
The standard edition Backbone Pro launched in May as an higher-end alternative of the Backbone One, the most popular dedicated mobile controller for years. The Pro version has remappable back buttons, full-sized sticks, larger grips, Hall Effect triggers, and quieter buttons. It connects to your phone via USB-C and is compatible with iPhone 15/16/17 and Android phones. As an added bonus, the Backbone Pro also has Bluetooth support for PC, Mac, Steam Deck, tablets, and other devices.
Check out all three discounted Backbone Pro editions below. The Backbone One is also on sale for a limited time. The officially licensed PlayStation Edition is $80 (was $100) with USB-C or $60 (was $100) with a Lightning connection. The standard edition black Backbone One with USB-C is also discounted to $80 (was $100).
$135 (was $170)
Key Features & Updates:
- Platforms:
- iPhone 15/16/17 and Android phones via USB-C
- Bluetooth wireless for PC, Mac, Steam Deck, tablets, VR headsets, and other devices
- Additional Ports:
- USB-C passthrough for charging phone
- 3.5mm audio jack
- Design:
- Larger handles with textured finish
- Full-sized ALPS analog sticks (not Hall Effect)
- Concave stick caps
- Anti-friction rings
- Hall Effect triggers with textured grips
- Two remappable back buttons (M1 and M2)
- Quieter “carbon-pill” face buttons and D-pad (glossy finish)
- Backbone App integration:
- Remap all inputs inside the app
- Adjustable trigger and stick sensitivity
- Create trigger and stick deadzones
- Custom profiles for each game
- Built-in emulator for NES, SNES, GB, GBC, GBA
- Smart Search helps you find games
- Launch all compatible games installed on your device
- Remote play Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation libraries
- Launch cloud gaming subscription services
- Built-in support for Apple Arcade (iOS) and Google Play Pass (Android), and Netflix Games
$145 (was $180)
The officially licensed Xbox Edition has a retro transparent green color scheme based on the popular special edition of the original Xbox. Outside of the cool theme, the main difference is the Xbox app can be launched by pressing the Guide button (Xbox logo). Inside the app, you can press and hold the button to bring up the task view menu just as you would on Xbox.
The Xbox Edition still works with all of the same devices and cloud streaming/remote play apps. The Backbone One also has a transparent green Xbox Edition priced at $100.
Backbone’s Xbox Edition controllers match 8BitDo’s trio of licensed accessories: Retro 87 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard, Retro R8 Gaming Mouse, and Ultimate 3-Mode Controller for console/PC. All three 8BitDo transparent green accessories are on sale, too.
$140 (was $170)
The Target-exclusive version of the Backbone Pro launched in October with a $170 MSRP. The current deal isn’t quite as good as the other two–$30 off instead of $35–but it’s still the best deal we’ve seen on this one.
More Mobile Controller Deals
For a mobile controller that can also hold small tablets, check out the Razer Kishi Ultra, which is on sale for $100 (was $150) at Amazon.
And for a more budget-friendly option for all iPhones and Android phones, the 8BitDo Ultimate Mobile Controller is discounted to only $38 (was $50) in white and $40 in black. 8BitDo’s Mobile Controller has remappable back buttons, Hall Effect sticks, tactile shoulder buttons, and a retro-inspired D-pad. It’s officially licensed by Xbox, so it has ABXY face buttons and the Xbox Guide button.
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