iOS gaming has come a long way since the Texas Hold'em, the first ever iPhone game, landed on the App Store in 2008. With the advent of remote play for the likes of the PS5 and Xbox Series X, the iPhone is arguably a gaming powerhouse. And with the addition of Sony's brand new iOS controller, it could now rival that other wildly popular console, the Nintendo Switch.
Yep, Sony has just announced its own officially licenced version of the excellent Backbone One controller for iOS, complete with the iconic white-and-black (or as I call it, reverse-Oreo) PS5 colour scheme. Sony has also revealed the new pro controller, the DualSense Edge, taking PS5 into a new elite gaming market.
The PlayStation Backbone One in all its glory (Image credit: Sony)
In a new blog post, PlayStation announced that the new Backbone controller for iPhone takes design cues from the PS5's DualSense controller (which we've come round to, despite initial reservations), "Transparent face buttons to its visually distinctive, floating appearance."
With the addition of the PS Remote Play app, which lets gamers stream PlayStation games on their iOS device, this might be the closest we get to a handheld PS5. It's certainly a much more elegant solution than clamping your iPhone to an actual DualSense, and there's something pleasingly Frankenstein-ish about seeing an Apple iPhone with Sony's logo and controller symbols in a Nintendo-esque package.
Backbone One was already one of the best iOS controller offerings, and for PlayStation fans, this officially licenced version could be the ultimate accessory. Plus, the Backbone app now features a dedicated section for Sony offerings, and no longer requires the controller to be connected to the iPhone – so gamers can browse it any time.
The Backbone app now highlights PlayStation games (Image credit: Sony)
But while plenty of iOS users are excited at the prospect of an official PlayStation controller, one complaint is already resonating through the comment section of Sony's blog: what about Android users? Alas, while the standard version of the Backbone One is available for Android, that doesn't seem to be the case with the DualSense-inspired edition.
Still, if you happen to be both an iPhone and PlayStation user, the new Backbone One could be an essential piece of kit. It costs $99/£99, and is available to pre-order from the Backbone website right now. But if you're looking for the ultimate hybrid gaming experience, you could do a lot worse than checking out the best Nintendo Switch deals out there. And what to play? Read our guide to the best upcoming Switch games to see what to pre-order.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
