Pushing the controller’s orange Backbone button while the One is connected to your phone will open up the Backbone app, which looks like an operating system.
To add games to the Backbone interface, just tap the orange button when you first boot up each new game.
This controller has a dedicated button to let you snap a screenshot in-game, or even record a video clip, which are features that should be familiar to anyone who’s used a modern gaming console.
The Backbone button illuminates a red LED while you’re recording, so it’s easy to see at a glance when you’re live.
After a video clip is saved, you can then trim and share the clip in the Backbone app, as well as via iMessage or any social media apps you use.
If you’re into recording clips with your friends, the video recording feature will pick up your voice in the mix, along with everyone else’s in the party (indicated by the small orange light near the iPhone’s top bezel in iOS 14).
Snapshots, video recording, and organizing parties for voice chat are just a few ways in which Backbone takes the reins in iOS to create a more interesting experience than Apple itself offers to gamers.
But with software enhancements that take advantage of iOS in some clever ways, Backbone makes the iPhone feel like a bona fide gaming platform that I want to remain a part of.
While the experience would undoubtedly be better with more content to play with it, Backbone’s controller for iOS is already worth the cost of admission if you’re an Apple Arcade subscriber or just enjoy a few one-off games