I think all investors want to see some type of subscription model to generate on going revenue. Sad this is what it has come to but that's the world we live in today
@@mejasiu I know and I hate it, companies want recurring revenue and subscriptions for everything. But they fail to realize, people don't have unlimited money and subscriptions cost a lot. They add up quickly. The market can only sustain so many subscription based products because people can't afford to pay for very many. Unlike one time purchase products that can be bought at any time and don't need to rely on servers most of the time.
I really love these clamp-style controllers, but the prices are absolutely crazy. Both the Kishi and BackBone are $100 which is just far too expensive in my opinion.
Idk I disagree. The software support and product speaks for itself. Plus on a good android phone you can play anything up to wii and ps2 and sometimes even more demanding consoles
Using this for PS2 emulation. Absolutely phenomenal. It really is as comfortable as a traditional controller. Playing Kingdom Hearts II on a PS2 emulator at 3x native resolution is fantastic. I think you're crazy if you buy this for *mobile* gaming. If you buy this for playing console level emulators, this is the route to go. I'm 5hrs into KH2 and it's awesome. Recently purchased a dedicated emulator (RG505). These emulator consoles are NOT ergonomic and are difficult to use compared to a traditional controller. Sending my RG505 back, this thing rocks and my S21 smacks any dedicated handheld emulator.
How did you get your S21 to run PS2 properly? I have an S21 Ultra and AetherSX2 doesn't run anywhere near well enough to be playable, even N64 has a lot of trouble, though PS1 is super smooth
@@andrewmartinez1784 d-pad is really nice, thumbsticks are a little small but pretty smooth and accurate, triggers are great - not a lot of travel and almost too easy to press but very nice for something this size. Only downsides are the weird "home button" that needs a long press to go home and the face buttons are *very* clicky, like the switches in a mouse. Little harder to press those, but no real issue
Was definitely interested in the Backbone for Android after getting the chance to try the iPhone version. The price is still a bit steep for my tastes though, so I might just stick with my v1 Kishi for now. I’m definitely interested in an in-depth video of some competitors though! Keep it up! 👌
Kishi v1 can cove a bit of the screen, v2 and backbone don't but v1 is as good as both, only the screen cover design is worse. Also, the exclusive app both v2 and backbone have doesn't offer anything you can't do for free. It would be cool if they had screen mapping to your controller to play lot of Andoid games that don't have controller support, but both controller sellers, Razer and whoever is the Backbone designer are lazy companies.
Love these phone controller videos. Please continue them! Another video I would love to see is any advice you have on setting up your device to ensure buttons all sync correctly. It is a major barrier to entry of these devices. Not sure if you have any tips and tricks to help users get this working faster
I have the 2nd generation it was stealthy/silenced released 2-3 months ago. To know you have the newer version it will say 2nd generation on the box. It's amazing with a few improvements from the version you've tested. It's better also than that new GameSir G8 you reviewed recently 😉 Best and most premium quality controller out 😎 When you hear about the improved version you will be enticed to try it 😊 Better buttons etc. Have fun, forget these little handhelds, get a powerful tablet or phone, it's a better experience than anything with all emulatos, smoothest remote play too compared to rivals, kills off the PS Portal in that area too 💫 You'd love it! Beautiful paystation white i got iPhone/android both supported with usb c, improved compatibility works with more phones apps and games compared to the 1st gen model, it looks like the PS5 controller!
Interesting how these controllers are way more expensive than a ps5 or xbox controllers that have batteries, bt radios etc... must be a volume thing but still... can't see myself spending 100 bucks on this. Great review!
Both volume and probably the fact that it's a controller that's split in half. A lot of controllers use similar components but things like this probably require a ton of custom parts. Just my guess.
Would genuinely appreciate more looks at options to turn your phone into a mobile retro console. There's a lot of options, high-end and budget, and being able to run PSP games decently for half the price of a standalone system is tempting.
Thanks for the review. I'm certainly interested in seeing in-depth review of the other 2 controllers you've featured in this video. I've got a Gamesir X2 to use with my Pixel 6 and am generally happy with it. I'll probably keep it until it breaks.
Hey russ, one thing I think you should do is a kind of wiggle test on d-pads. Like put your thumb down holding right and then wiggle it up and down to see if you can input up and down while holding right. It's how I test dpads because it shows how precise it is - in the heat of the moment it's easy to screw up inputs on some controllers because of this. It happens because there's often not enough of a raised center pivot under the dpad - the switch pro controller is a perfect example. When i hit up and down to go through my items in pokemon, i often accidentally hit left and right and tab over to other menus. Strangely enough the switch lite dpad doesn't have this issue whatsoever.
Doesn't he do something like that on most of his reviews? Also I'm amazed the inventor of the d-pad messed up the Switch pro's d-pad so bad. It's basically unusable to me.
Any interest in reviewing the GameVice Flex? I ended up ordering one due to some shipping confusion with my usb-c backbone (which I ended up receiving on time anyway). To me the Flex looks like a better bet since it can accommodate phone cases, has slightly larger grips, and seems to have larger analog sticks. My Flex is still en route though, so I haven't been able to test it head-to-head with the Backbone. Great video as always! Thanks for the great content.
Honestly, the headphone jack is such a killer feature for me! Bluetooth is great for most things, but the lag on most wireless headsets kills the experience, and most phones speakers are pretty weak and tinny (not to mention downward facing and obstructed by the controller).
Yes please review the other controllers 😍 Great work on your vid👍I'm really enjoying your channel and written guides Got me started in retro emulation which is just amazing Thank you so much :D Keep it up
I wouldn’t mind seeing and in depth comparison between all 3 controllers and maybe the Gamevice Flex as well. Also I have an LGV60 but with a Spigen Rugged Armor case. I was able to make mine fit with the case in the Gamesir X2 by cutting a little bit of the bottom of the case (just enough to make it flat, but still hold the phone just fine). Ghetto, but it works and I hate using a phone without a case. Also did the same thing with a Galaxy S10E, with a Spigen case.
I'll second this one... I would be very interested in how this compares to the Gamevice Flex... I've got the Flex on my wishlist and possibly buying one in May 2023.
I have the Flex and it looks like a hybrid of the Kishi V2 and Backbone One, but with the added benefit of a whole range of phone and case adapters. The dpad feels a bit mushy, but works fine for platformers and seems like it's on par with the Backbone's. All other things being the same, the Flex feels like the better deal since it has the core features of the Backbone, plus the adapters. Still somewhat outrageously priced at $99, though.
Hey russ. Nice video. You should consider to try out emulation on a folding phone. Combined with a good telescope controller. Especially older consoles in 4by3 look awesome on a fold 3.
I've been using Razor's Android controller for emulators on my phone and I love it. The telescoping part is a little more flimsy, but at half the cost of this one I'll stick with Razor
I really appreciate you going over the button sound aspect. When I have time to game it's usually laying in bed next to my wife who's trying to sleep. This video let me know it's not for me. I'll be sticking with the razer kishi v1. Thank you!
I recently got the iphone version. It's a good controller but the sheer bloody cheek of them to not only charge a subscription fee for the launcher app but also not inform you of that anywhere in the product description!
I was waiting on the Backbone for Android, but the Moga XP7-X Plus has really grabbed my attention. Take a look at it if you would and I would love to see a review on it.
I have the original Razer Kishi and really didn't have the problems with it like you did. I wouldn't say it's the best feeling controller, but it worked okay for me. That being said, I still rarely use it. If I'm gaming on the go, I usually take my Vita. I do like the headphone jack on this one though, it's a huge feature that neither of the Kishi models have.
You should do a side series on every android controller you can get your hands on. Then at the end of the year, you could do a comparison/compilation/Top 10 or something.
Thanks man ive been waiting for this... I'm a bit torn on the fingerprint magnet issue. I think it would bother me a lot and at this price point, this should not happen.
It’s really scummy to make a subscription service for a premium priced controller just to get an extra feature like why should people have to spend $40 yearly after spending $100 on a controller
great videos', just got onto your chanel .... you've mentiond your prefered front end a couple of time ... can you link another video if you have something that goes over the setup
I picked up the first Razer Kishi for $50 and it does the job well, and I think it has better analog sticks then any of these. The only thing I really wish it had was that headphone jack, but that doesn't justify the 2-3x price
Great video Russ, hey quick question, why is the Logitech G Cloud the only device that actually uses the full screen for X-Cloud, PS remote play, and Moonlight? I love the G-Cloud because of this but I', afraid the upcoming Razer Edge will always have the black bars on the side. Do you know a way to not have those black bars?
I have a Z-Fold 4, and it seems to me the better option for this phone is the Gamesir X2 pro because of the larger back plate and rubber sides thst help keep this huge phone in place. I was waiting for the Backbone for Android, but it has this curvature at the bottom to hold a regular slab phone in place and that rules out my Foldable. Thank you for your review, great controller nevertheless.
>The charging port is on the right, so your phone needs to rotate to the left Nice. I don't know why, but I hate turning my phone to the right. I have a Galaxy S9, the volume buttons rest comfortably under your left thumb when you rotate it to the left, so I appreciate any controller attachment that has your phone resting on its left side when horizontal. However... it still looks like I need to dissect my Otterbox case off of my Android phone to use the BackBone One due to those little extra grooves on the inside of the controller. I can't be bothered to have to pull this case apart and put it back on any time I want a controller attachment, as it kills the convenience of gaming on a phone entirely. @5:40 Yep, I would need to gut the phone from the Otterbox any time I wanted to use this. Aw well.
God, this looks like the perfect add-on controller accessory for smartphones too, if it wasn't for the front-clips that hold the phone in place and prevent the use of a case.
Can you please make a video on the playstation edition backbone on Android? The PlayStation edition for Android was just released today and I wanted to know if you're going to make a video about it.
By far the best video I have seen covering this topic. Mentions the subscription, paid and free version. Talks about how it works with PS remote play and gamepass. Then compares it to the other 2 Android controllers that can compete. Well done. Well put together
$40/year to let a controller connect to a PC, like Backbone is suffering ongoing costs when you try to do that. This trend of holding features hostage is sickening
Please do a review of the others. Leaning towards the X2 Pro at the moment, mostly based on cost. Also interested in how these controllers compare to dedicated handhelds, like the Retroid Pocket 3+. Existing phone + one of these is going to be cheaper than a handheld, and most likely have better performance.
The 3.5 jack is nice but the deal breaker is the lack support for phones in cases, a bit pricey, and no protective case to store it in for those of us that like to throw it in a cramped bag. Yes please, do a review on the other 2.
Getting a new phone is a couple months.. so honestly thinking of buying the controller or something similar instead of buying another handheld. Like you say, can't go wrong with a cheap phone setup for portable gaming!
I use the Gamesir X-2 Pro. I refuse to pay $100 for something that has no battery that could be used to charge your device, the charging pass-through does not support quick charge to your device, no Bluetooth antenna so it can be used with other devices (that may not be USB-C), and put its other features behind a $40 pay wall. I am not sure what I am paying for when a xbox/ps controller is a third of the price. Plus I was lucky enough to get my gamesir pro at half the price of this. I can never find the backbone or the Kishi on sale for a good discount. Is a USB-C chip that much more expensive than a Bluetooth one? I think this is classic up-selling a niche market. I will say this though, the fact that this thing has a headphone jack is huge... especially if you like to play rhythm games. It is almost impossible to play those games with Bluetooth headphones/buds. That still does not justify the price IMHO.
Verizon is still selling iPhone and Android bundles that come with 3 months Game Pass Ultimate and $25 xbox gift card for $100. I picked mine up this way, definitely worth it.
I have all 3 pads shown, the backbone is defo my favourite, is it worth the asking price? It should be cheaper, maybe £60-70. I prefer the backbone mainly for ergonomics but also I attach a 13500mah power bank to the rear flat backed backbone, the other two pads are a little bit harder to attach a power bank to.
I use retroarch for SNES, N64, Dreamcast emulation, PPSSPP for PSP games, Duckstation for PS one, netherSX2 for PS 2 games. Can get full screen on all of them.
I dig these but always preferred the controllers with the mount, so it's above the gamepad, the fact we gotta take the case off to use these controllers, kinda negates the portability. Take off the case, make sure not to drop it, slip it into the shell, finished, take it out of the shell, put the phone back in the case... And it just adds a lot of width. I like em! But not for me. Super happy with my Odin and RP3+
Yep, I genuinely don't get why every one of these controllers is like this. Out of the literal hundreds of people I know, 1 or 2 don't use a case. It's already a bit of a hassle to bring any controller with you, but needing to remove and store your case every single time adds further to that barrier of entry - most of the time it will be easier to not bother with a controller or playing on the go at all. It's even more stupid when you consider that most flagship phones now have huge camera bumps, so sit in these controllers at a weird angle. This would be negated by using a case which makes the camera flush, except that cases aren't supported. I don't know why they don't design these controllers to be used with cases, them include bumpers/adapters for the insignificant minority of people not using a case - it feels completely backwards.
I would love a comparison especially including a case. I have owned the kishi v1 for years and want something smaller and sturdier for my on the go emulator. The backbone looks the best but i don't think I can go caseless.
That reminds me - is there any mobile controller that supports rumble out of the box? Not even my Razer Kishi 1 has rumble at all, and Steam Link still doesn't allow me to use a physical controller at the same time as my smartphone's rumble and gyro.
Backbone + iPhone 15 pro max + Apple Arcade + announced AAA titles + announced Apple forced side loading and third party app stores, your review and thoughts please.
I think I saw someone trying to call this "the Steam Deck killer." It's turned into some trend to call any portable thing that comes along the Steam Deck killer.
Headphone jack is a must for me if I use it on the train to work. Are the speakers any good or does it just use the phone speaker? Have you used it on car games? Thx
Hi Russ weird question but what are the chances that this USB C version of the controller would fit onto the current iPad mini (6th gen). The mini is about 1 inch taller than the Redmagic 7.
Zero. I haven’t still got my review unit mini, but precisely none of the controllers worked with it in landscape. (One of the Bluetooth ones could clamp it in portrait. It needed maybe another 4 or 5cm stretch to do landscape.)
I bought the Gamevice Flex for Android. I was torn between it and the Backbone One for Android. I had to return my Gamesir X2 Pro due to no charge-while-playing with my LG V30 or V60 phones. I think I'm going to buy the PowerA Moga XP7-X Plus bluetooth controller.
Hi! Great video! Is it possibile to plug phone (connected with backbone) to pc and vysor software for video sharing and streaming? Or does it work just for pass through charge?
Hi Russ! Thanks for the review! I'm interested in this device. Currently, I'm using the razer kishi v2 and enjoy it a lot. It's just that with dolphin emulator, my directional pad and joysticks are super sensitive and it makes most g.c. game unplayable. I've never been able to figure it out- I've searched through reddit with no luck. I'm curious if this device would give me the same problem? Also, I really think the headphone jack would be awesome to have- bluetooth headphones have too much delay with games understandably.
Thank you for letting us know it's loud and clicky. I only stream to my phone at night when I need to be quiet so something like this isn't for me. Still looking for a kishi alternative since that's the only one that's quieter so far
I have a gamesir x2 pro and kinda hate the dpad and ergonomics. Im tempted to get the backbone for the dpad alone. My endgame would be the backbone, but an XL model - wider flare, and a few changes, like bigger, capacitive face buttons and more travel for the analogue triggers. What would you change about the backbone one?
I've been watching 3 videos of yours so far and I love the reviews and would like some for the other controllers. I guess the main thing I wanted to ask is your thoughts on Android phone emulation and gaming like your v60 vs one of the handhelds like the retroid 3+. Would you say the extra $50 is worth it to have something dedicated to gaming vs just getting one of these controllers? I know I could use a BT controller but those generally don't feel as good a handheld would and also have input lag. I have an Xperia 1 III and I'm fairly certain it can run most emulators like the PS2 just fine Honestly my ultimate goal is to play breath of the wild without having to bring the switch everywhere when the kids wanna play Mario Odyssey at home. I've been heavily looking at the steam deck but I want to check all my options and it'd be nice to revisit my childhood for the DMC games on a PS2 emulator as well
Hey man, nice review! Like the ergonomic grips on this one. Qq, does this controller (or the X2 pro) allow for connecting the phone with the case on? That would be a big advantage
Hi there, I've been following your channel for some time now, really amazing content, congrats. I was thinking that it would be a really interesting analysis to check a new version of the apple tv for emulation (I think that with retroarch and other emulation systems, it can work up to nintendo 64), I just saw a reaview like this, and it would be great to know your opinion.
With the aether PS2 emulator going development dark I dunno if this kinda device would be worth it for me. But the emulator works well enough as it is, that it has me tempted, 139 CAD though is steep as you said though. Would a cheaper one even be worth using, like some cheap $50 buck one or something, or do you think the suit of features it has / ergonomics makes it worth while? I'm just thinking my phone could run Dreamcast and up easily enough, and dreamcast is sorta the top end of my RG351V so it seems like it would be a perfect pairing.
For first time retrogamer. What is the thought on getting a new Android phone (as I need one as well) vs a dedicated device like RG 353M or RP3+. Looking to play PS1 JRPGs and Gran Turismo. And while on that topic, how about retro emulation on PCs (as I need to buy upgrade on that)?
I would love to see a video of controllers like this with a headphone jack. I assume if you were to plug in a USB to headphone and USB - C charge adapter to the controller it wouldn't work? I use one of these for my phone so I can charge and listen at the same time wired.
