After seeing Xbox Cloud Gaming launch on iOS devices earlier in the week, Microsoft is celebrating by bundling the Backbone One Mobile iPhone Controller Grip with three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $99.99 shipped. Normally that’s what you’d pay for the gamepad alone, with today’s discount throwing in an extra $45 worth of value in order to mark the best offer to date.
Backbone One enters as one of the more popular ways to imbue an iPhone with an elevated gaming experience, attaching to both sides of your handset in order to deliver a Nintendo Switch-like form-factor. Alongside two joysticks, a D-Pad, ABXY buttons, and rear triggers, its adjustable design plugs in via Lightning to work with a variety of handsets ranging from the iPhone 12 mini to 12 Pro Max. Plus with three months of Game Pass Ultimate, you’ll have access to Xbox Cloud Gaming for streaming titles alongside digital game deals, online multiplayer, and a list of free titles to play at no extra cost. Rated 4.6/5 stars and we found that it delivers “full-fledged iPhone gaming” in our hands-on review. Head below for more.
If you’re in the market for another way to elevate your mobile gameplay experience on iPhone, don’t forget about the SteelSeries promotion that went live last month and is still up for the taking. Right now you can still score four months of free access to Apple Arcade when you buy the popular MFi Nimbus+ controller at $70. This is one of the more compelling ways to play games while on-the-go for those who prefer the traditional gamepad form-factor as compared to the Switch-like experience with the Backbone.
Alongside being able to score three months of Game Pass Ultimate on sale right now by itself, you’ll want to go dive into all of the best app and game deals for your iPhone right here. There are quite a few notable discounts here for taking either of the gaming experiences noted above for a spin, ranging from dungeon crawlers to platforming adventures and more.
Backbone One iPhone Controller features:
Designed in partnership with the team behind the Xbox 360 controller, the Backbone features tactile buttons, responsive triggers, and clickable thumbsticks. The controller’s rounded edges are designed to naturally fit in the hand for the most comfortable gaming experience.
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