Backbone’s holiday lineup for 2023 included updated controllers for the iPhone 15 series and also the first Backbone One Carrying Case. Jared and myself have been using Backbone One controllers for a while now. I usually use both the Razer Kishi and Backbone One when testing any game, but have recently been mostly using the Backbone One for PlayStation Remote Play in and out of the house. I was curious about the Backbone One Carrying Case, so ordered one for myself a little while ago. Jared’s praise for it got me curious, and it is interesting enough to get me to do a short review of it to help any Backbone One controller owners decide if it is worth grabbing. While this review is based on the Backbone One Carrying Case PlayStation Edition, it will also apply to the regular version.
The Backbone One Carrying Case looks premium and fancy, in fact it might be pushing it on those fronts, and that’s what got me to order the PlayStation version. I was curious to see how the outer material would feel, whether it would last in my backpack, and how it would handle being dropped or just being squished in my bag. So far, everything has been fine aside from one flaw that I touch on below. The white felt-style finish feels good in the hand, and it has somehow not gotten dirty despite being dropped a few times and being in my bag for over a month when I go out.
The inner lining is also soft, and reminds me of the good quality iPhone cases. there isn’t much room for anything else aside from maybe earphones or a small charging cable inside the Backbone One Carrying Case. You could put the adapters that ship with the Backbone One controller inside the case if you’d like, but there isn’t any dedicated storage for them. Having some sort of pouch on the top would’ve been good to have.
Now the main issue I have with the Backbone One Carrying Case is the zipper. Backbone calls this a low profile zipper that’s water resistant and easy to open and close. I actually worry that the zipper might get stuck almost every time I use it. It hasn’t happened so far, but it does not feel good to use. The materials are nice and the zipper itself is good to hold, but this aspect needs to be improved for a new model. I ended up checking with a few friends who also have the case and they all have the same issue with it. None of us have had issues with the zipper getting stuck, but it doesn’t feel good or easy to use as a zipper.
Is the Backbone One Carrying Case overkill for a controller most people would just throw into their backpacks when going out? Likely. Is it worth $24.99? So far, yes. The Backbone One controller is usually $99.99 so this might seem like a lot at a fourth of the price, but I’m satisfied with it aside from the zipper not feeling great. I also love how the Backbone One Carrying Case PlayStation Edition looks and feels in-hand compared to other controller cases. It remains to be seen how this holds up after more months of use though.
Backbone One Carrying Case review score: 4/5
You can buy the Backbone One Carrying Case here and the Backbone One Carrying Case PlayStation Edition here on Amazon for $24.99.
If you buy the controllers or items listed and linked above through our links on Amazon, it helps TouchArcade in a small way.
