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This is the second gen USB-C version. Delivery only available from BIG W.
Backbone One PlayStation Edition USB-C Gaming Controller (Gen 2) $119 Delivered @ BIG W (Online Only)
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imbatman on 11/06/2024 - 08:35 bigw.com.au (3359 clicks)
Last edited 11/06/2024 - 09:58 by 1 other user
Last edited 11/06/2024 - 09:58 by 1 other user
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Yep. It’s a proper contender for portable gaming as much as folks are disgusted by the concept of gaming on your phone. And them A17 chips are insane. I’m sure the A18 will no doubt perform admirably as well.
And with GPTK2’s new capability to port from Mac to iPhone and iPad, as well as hopefully third-party apps coming soon, source ports will become even more of a thing on iOS and iPadOS.
I just looked into this GPTK2 and it sounds very promising.
I've had this model and the Gamesir X2 Pro. They both have advantages and disadvantages, but the biggest con for me is that the Backbone isn't as forgiving with phone cases. Having to take the cover off every time I wanted to play a game became a bit of a hassle.
Otherwise, the Backbone feels great and is perfect for Playstation owners since it works with the PS remote play app.
but the biggest con for me is that the Backbone isn't as forgiving with phone cases. Having to take the cover off every time I wanted to play a game became a bit of a hassle.
Are you experiencing this with the 2nd gen Backbone? It comes with additional removable adapters/pads that is compatible with more phones with cases, unless you have a massive case.
I use my ESR 15 pro max case with kickstand and MagSafe in the backbone one 2nd gen. On the LHS of the backbone I don’t use either adapter/pad, RHS (usb c side) I use the small adapter/pad - fits perfectly.
I had one about a year ago, so I'd say it was gen 1. If they've improved case compatibility since then that's a big selling point for me.
How is this compared to the Gamesir?
I have the Gamesir one as well but the joystick deadzone is so much it makes shooting games near unplayable
I had a gen 1 Backbone (I didn't realise this was a new version) and it was pretty similar to the Gamesir in terms of build. The grips were probably a bit comfier and it wasn't as clicky, which is a good thing imo. The best thing for me was that it worked out of the box with PS5.
As per my message above, it didn't work with my phone case but it sounds like they've improved that. I haven't noticed any deadzones with the Gamesir, but I don't really play 3D shooters.
Which model gamesir? I have the g8 and don't remember there being any issue with dead zones
which gamesir? i just got the gamesir x2s with the hall effect sticks and mechanical buttons and there's no deadzone on this model. have you tinkered with the app to reduce the dead zones? i know hall effect sticks are better at reducing dead zones compares to the potentiometer ones.
Does this work better than the psplay android app?
Never mind… I thought this was the Ps5 handheld…
Even cheaper with discounted gift cards and if you have everyday rewards plus monthly 10% off discount!
Was on the wishlist for quite some time now, ordered using Giftcards and Everyday Extra discount, thanks OP.
Bought one of these last year for slightly less to use on a flight. As a controller it was alright - did exactly as it was intended to. I did find that because the joysticks are quite small, it is fairly sensitive - which can make fine movements (in Gran Turismo as an example, or moving your character to face a very specific direction) difficult and frustrating. I'm not sure if the sensitivity can be turned down to fix this, but I always suspected it was related to the size of the input.
Pixel 4a struggled with some of the titles but after upgrading to a Pixel 8 the experience was a lot smoother.
Setup is pretty straight forward and it's useful to have an auxilliary port and separate charging port built in. Didn't bother with the software (other than installing it so the controller can be used) to play games, as there was a subscription fee I am not interested in paying. Was able to download ps2 ROMs easily enough from online.
This or PS Portal?
Would depend on your use. If you plan on playing ps only, portal would make more sense as it is more robust with better controls.
If you want to use your phone to play games as well, this, as portal is limited to just your ps titles.More also thinking the price tag is more palatable
Just buy a dualsense mount $10
You know what - I never thought of that. Thanks!!
I was on the same boat few weeks ago, ended up buying the Portal with JB discount and bought an Xbox controller clip for phone gaming. If I bought the backbone, I have to replace my current phone case..
I got one of these to use with a Pixel 6 Pro as a poor man's Steam Deck, but don't use it much. It's a relatively bad gaming experience for most titles until you find something that works well played this way. After doing some Steam Link gaming and finding I preferred to wait till I could sit at a desk instead, I decided that games intended for mobile were best suited to this format. Diablo Immortal was one that grabbed me.
This is why I sold my Razer Kishi initially. Gaming on the phone sucks arse for the most part. Not even the good kind of sucking arse.
Yeah - exactly my experience. I would prefer using most other things. I bought it as a light travel game console setup for when I went to Japan but barely used it and wished I had my Steam Deck/Switch/retro handheld instead.
What retro handheld do you have? I have a controller for my phone and Retroarch, but I'd prefer not to take up all my storage with ROMs.
I got this deal delivered on the weekend, its absolutely killer for the price
Ends up a bit smaller than my iPhone + Backbone - obviously not an OLED screen but it's very good.
Definitely don't pay the $200 that they are listed at now (or the $1,541,298.46 one option is listed at lol)
What didn't you like about using a mobile controller?
Just a bit cramped I guess. Plus I didn't like draining my phone battery
Just be careful that certain features are locked behind a subscription - for example being able to use it as a wired controller with other devices (e.g. PC)
This is a good thing to point out. It’s such BS that hardware is locked to a subscription. Otherwise it’s a great controller. I tried out the subscription and quickly got rid of it. It doesn’t provide anything interesting.
Thanks OP. Bought one with 10% off code and 4% off gift card through NIB. Actually bought the much cheaper Gamesir X2s last month on Amazon, but had to return it because it had a dud button (kept pulsing when held down). The ergonomics didn't work for me anyway—both the buttons and the body are rather small for bigger hands.
ugh I want one of these but my iphone has lightning but is due for an upgrade which will no doubt have usbc when I do.
Is there anyway to use the usbc one with a lightning device somehow? Seems redundant to get the lightning backbone now.
Nah any adapters will make it too big to fit AFAIK
I am told I should get a backbone. Will this deal be suitable for my circumstances?
What games do people use this with? I’ve had one for half a year and couldn’t find anything worthwhile 🤷♂️
(On iOS mostly but can use my lonely pixel device if the game is worth it)
If you have Netflix there are some good games available with your subscription - Dead Cells, Hades, Oxenfree 1 & 2, Death's Door, Kentucky Route Zero etc
Of course, nothing you couldn't play on a console or PCI see i’ll check it out. Too bad i don’t have netflix anymore. My goal is to sort of find something I can play on the commute or while on the bed. It’s a bit hard to find proper time to sit down and game for hours on a pc / console sadly. (Tried remote play for ps5 ans xbox cloud on this and was a disaster)
Geez hades and dead cells now on Netflix? They have a banging line up now for mobile games
Yep its the only thing I miss from my Netflix subscription.
GTA, Vampire Survivors, Huntdown, Castlevania, Hollow Knight and other metroidvanias, Dead Cells, emulation.
How does this compare to something like the EasySMX M05 for less than half the cost?
Where can you buy those in Australia?
If you buy in the US it might not be worth it by the time you get out here
I saw it on Ali for roughly $40 aussie with choice shipping (2 weeks usually)
There are some good ones on aliexpress. I got the gamesir x2s for a little over $27 during their choice day sale by stacking a coin discount. Mine just arrived and it works quite well, but i can see the backbone being more ergonomic with its horned grips and the extra distance between the right side stick and buttons. That being said, I do like the gamesir with its hall effect sticks and mechanical switches.
@DangerNoodle: Wow that's an awesome price! I'm still undecided whether to get a controller or a new dedicated device.
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/15367767/redir
What are your thoughts? Or too early to tell?@dajackal: I'm kinda hoping the 9000 series APUs from AMD have the potential to provide a switch like experience but not sure if it will happen. Could be done though, low power modes on the go and full power GPU when docked, there is that potential. For now, I'm waiting for more efficient chips and to see what happens with the switch 2 before I buy a dedicated device.
The advantage of the controller is that you can keep using it for years to come when you update your phone.
Does backbone require a subscription to use their app?
yep I believe so
I think you can still use it but some features are locked. You can still remap buttons etc.
To use games in their app, yes. But if you sideload game ROMs from online you will still be able to use the controller just fine.
Can confirm I was playing PSP games on my iPhone last night using the Backbone just fine.
The annoying thing about the PlayStation edition is that nearly all games use the glyphs from the regular (Xbox) edition. You do get used to remapping in your head though.
yay, picked one up. i have a setup with the ps4 controller and now i guess ill retire the controller to the ps4.
This or a G9 mobile controller? Posted before with a link to aliexpress but ozbargain didn't like it. Apart from not being a le to charge your phone while using it, looks decent for the price and a lot like the PS portal. Not a fan of the backbone locking features behind a useless subscription such as using it for a PC controller.
Dammit it’s sold out. Have been checking this every few days waiting for a sale …
You're lucky I saw this comment. Save yourself the money and time and buy a Gamesir G8 Galileo controller. It's the best for the money on the market. The backbone especially the analog sticks are complete trash. The Galileo has proper hall effect sticks and the controller buttons and sticks feel like a premium Series X or PS5 controller. I can't believe people still don't know about these things and buy this shitty backbone.
Thanks for the advice, although dont think id mind the joysticks im someone who liked the 3ds joysticks lol, or are the joysticks bad for a reason other than comfort?
I just sold mine tonight on Marketplace. Wonder if it was an ozbargainer who bought it
Doesn’t seem to be in stock anymore
Looks like this should be under $100 with shopback as they have 20% cashback at Big W for the next hour and a half. Looks like it should be eligible for the cashback.
Just received mine and damn… I LOVE the form factor, its so compact. But the joysticks on this thing absolutely suck :( It's gotta be a return for me
Similar experience, curious to know the reason you will use for return, perhaps I might use it to if I go down the same path.
I'm a mouse+keyboard gamer so even the best controllers feel a bit sucky to me. These joysticks are just so bad that I'd rather not game and wait till I can be at my desk.
Temptation is there for a good controller so I can play games from the couch (with moonlight+sunshine) or more casual games during a commute. Unfortunately, been a PC gamer my whole life so controllers are just very uncomfortable for me to begin with and this one is just a horrible example of a controller.
Actually this may be worth getting now Apple announced many game titles like control, assassins creed etc are coming to iOS in a few months, and place us can play ROMS on emulators now on iOS so it’s starting to be a nice little gaming system :D