PlayStation returns to the handheld gaming scene… sort of. This July 28 PlayStation and Backbone announced their partnership and released Backbone One – PlayStation Edition. This device serves as a mobile game controller that gamers can use with the PS Remote Play app on their iOS phones.
While it features the same functionality as a standard Backbone One mobile controller, the PlayStation Edition looks more like a DualSense with its white and gray color scheme and transparent d-pad and face buttons. Backbone confirmed to Digital Trends that Backbone One – PlayStation Edition does not include the haptic feedback from DualSense or adaptive trigger featuresand founder and CEO Maneet Khaira explained that those features didn’t make sense ergonomically in a mobile controller:
“Ergonomics and weight are always top of mind because we know our gamers want a certain level of in-game immersion when playing in the handheld form factor. That’s why we did extensive ergonomic evaluations and consulted with multiple usability and human factors experts when thinking about this design. I love the DualSense, it’s one of our favorite controllers ever made. This product is distinctive in that it is used primarily in mobile devices that have smaller form factors and are therefore subject to their own unique restrictions. As a result, it doesn’t have the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers on the DualSense. The size, ergonomics, and weight of this product when combined with a phone allow gamers to enjoy playing the games they already love on their phone via PlayStation Remote Play with maximum comfort. Our goal was not to reflect the characteristics of the DualSense, it was to create the essential games for PlayStation on mobile devices while feeling at home within the PS5 line, “they told DT in English.
While its relationship to the PS5 controller is purely cosmetic, the controller can plug directly into the PlayStation Pulse 3D headset, so now you can easily use that proprietary mobile gaming headset.
While the controller itself is mostly cosmetic, some major iOS app updates have also been released alongside it. The Backbone app can now be navigated with touch controls, and users can now launch their PS4 or PS5 directly from the PS Remote Play app on iOS. The Backbone app has even seen more integration with PlayStation, as it will show players a dedicated lineup of PlayStation-related games and updates and link players to the right places to download those games on their system. From there, these games can be played remotely using the PS Remote Play app and Backbone One – PlayStation.
It’s not a New PlayStation Vita, but it’s still a PlayStation-approved controller that will let you play PS4 and PS5 games on a handheld device. If you want this DualSense-themed mobile controller, the iOS version of the Backbone One – PlayStation Edition is available now, with an Android model coming later this year.
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