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Best gaming controller for iPhone Geeking Out 2024
Gaming on iPhone has come a LONG way since the Candy Crush days!
With titles like Resident Evil 4, Assassin's Creed Mirage, and Death Stranding making their way to iPhone we are seeing titles available for iPhone 16 models and iPhone 15 Pro & Max that were previously only playable on current gen consoles.
But swiping on-screen controls never feels as good a a proper graming controller. Fortunately there are lots of good options to choose from. Over the past two years, I have been hands on with about one dozen different controller grips and phone clips with various controllers to try and find the best mobile gaming experience. Based on that, there's one option I recommend above all others.
Best Overall
Backbone One (Gen 2)
Best for iPhone 16 (all) & 15 Pro/Max
For the quality feel, ease of use, and excellent software, the Backbone is an easy choice to recommend. Make sure, though, that you get the USB C version if you have iPhone 16 or 15. It's available in white and black. With the included software you can easiliy connect your game's library from services like Game Pass, Steam, Luna, and more.
Best for iPhones with lightning connector
Backbone One
Best for iPhone 14 or older
Make sure to choose the right Backbone for your phone! There are Android models with USB-C, and a new iPhone USB C version. But if you have iPhone 14 or older, you're going to need the version that has the lightning connector.
Razer's best smartphone model
Razer Kishi (V2)
Best Backbone alternative
If for whatever reason you don't want a Backbone controller then Razer has a very similar option. Keep in mind that they make a lightning version (iPhone 14 and older) and an "Android" version (USB C). So if you have an iPhone 15/Pro/Max, you'll want to buy the "Android" version since you're gonna need that USB C port.
Razer's Premium Model
Razer Kishi Ultra
Best for Apple devices
If you see yourself switching between your iPhone and your iPad Mini for gaming, then the Razer Kishi Ultra is absolutely the best pick for you. The iPad Mini can be set up as a pretty sweet device for gaming on the go. We've done a deep dive into all the reasons why the Kishi Ultra is the best pick for an iPad Mini mobile controller so if you have both an iPhone 15 model (or newer) and an iPad Mini consider the Kishi Ultra.
Canadian Made
ELO Vagabond
E-Sports Gaming
From the moment you open the box, to the second you're thumbs hit the joysticks, you can see and feel the premium experience with the ELO Vagabond. This Canadian company's main product is their mobile controller, and that focus has allowed them to obsess over every small detail for an elite gaming experience. Whether you're on a smartphone or small tablet, this controller is ready to be your gaming-on-the-go companion. Many companies won't bother jumping through the hoops to get the Made For iPhone/iPad certification, but ELO has, which further shows their commitment to a quality user experience. With hall effect joysticks and triggers and customizable buttons, this is premium portable controller.
Backbone knock-off
LeadJoy M1C+
Best budget controller
LeadJoy makes a few different gaming accessories including a controller grip that looks very much like the design of the Backbone One. It has a dedicated capture button for screenshots and videos. It also supports attaching magnetic cooling fans if your iPhone gets toasty during a gaming session, but honestly, who has one of those? The price is a little cheaper than Backbone, so if you want to gamble a bit on quality to save a little money, this is an option.
Xbox option
PowerA MOGA Xbox
Works with Xbox Series X Controllers
If you LOVE the feel of your current Xbox controller but want to use the beautiful screen and harness the power of your iPhone 15 pro for gaming, then PowerA MOGA is a fantastic option. The key with their design compared to others is the dual adjustment dials. These allow you to get just the right distance between the screen and the controller as well as a perfect angle for the display. Plus it's a VERY inexpensive option if you want to see whether you even like hardcore gaming on iPhone before investing in something like a Backbone One.
PlayStation option
Orzero Clip On
Works with DualSense controllers
For the exact same reasons we suggested the Xbox controller clip, we also picked this one for PlayStation fans. The dual adustment dials help you precisely setup the postiion of your screen for how you like it. This model works with PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 controllers and comes in black or silver. So if you like gaming on your PlayStation controllers and want to add the phone into the mix, this is a solid choice.
Best Overall: Backbone One (2nd Gen)
Straight up, Backbone One is the best choice for a mobile gaming controller. The hardware design is very solid. When your phone is enclosed within the Backbone and you're gripping the controller tightly everything feels very stable. Unlike some competitors where you feel like you might get carried away while gaming and accidentally twist the controller, snapping the USB port off inside your phone, Backbone has a very sturdy uniform feel when you're gaming.
Swapping your phone in and out of this device is very easy. The extendable arms make allow you to quickly get your phone in place, line it up wih the USB C connection, and close it within seconds. A really great feature of Backbone is that with various sizes of included bumpers, you may actually be able to use your phone while it's still in the case. Taking off your case doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but once you have the conveneince of leaving it on when you're going from phone to game mode, it's very nice.
The software that comes with your Backbone One is top-notch. Your controller comes with a one month free trial. But after that you'll have to subscribe for $39.99 a year. The best part of the subscription service is the way the Backbone software It organizes your games library from a huge number of services (Apple Arcade, Xbox Game Pass, Steam, Geforce Now, Luna, even the Google Play Pass if you've got one). However, if you're mostly playing in Steam or Game Pass, it's not that big of a deal to just open those apps rather than use Backbone's unified system. Also within the app you can find your captured photos and videos, calibrate your controls, are remap your buttons.
Pros:
- Solid design
- Includes spacers for precise fitting
- Supports certain cases
- Software is excellent
Cons:
- Software requires subscription (after free trial)
Best Overall
Backbone One (Gen 2)
Best for iPhone 16 (all) & 15 Pro/Max
For the quality feel, ease of use, and excellent software, the Backbone is an easy choice to recommend. Make sure, though, that you get the USB C version if you have iPhone 16 or 15. It's available in white and black. With the included software you can easiliy connect your game's library from services like Game Pass, Steam, Luna, and more.
Best for iPhones with lightning connector
Backbone One
Best for iPhone 14 or older
Make sure to choose the right Backbone for your phone! There are Android models with USB-C, and a new iPhone USB C version. But if you have iPhone 14 or older, you're going to need the version that has the lightning connector.
Razer's best smartphone model
Razer Kishi (V2)
Best Backbone alternative
If for whatever reason you don't want a Backbone controller then Razer has a very similar option. Keep in mind that they make a lightning version (iPhone 14 and older) and an "Android" version (USB C). So if you have an iPhone 15/Pro/Max, you'll want to buy the "Android" version since you're gonna need that USB C port.
Razer's Premium Model
Razer Kishi Ultra
Best for Apple devices
If you see yourself switching between your iPhone and your iPad Mini for gaming, then the Razer Kishi Ultra is absolutely the best pick for you. The iPad Mini can be set up as a pretty sweet device for gaming on the go. We've done a deep dive into all the reasons why the Kishi Ultra is the best pick for an iPad Mini mobile controller so if you have both an iPhone 15 model (or newer) and an iPad Mini consider the Kishi Ultra.
Canadian Made
ELO Vagabond
E-Sports Gaming
From the moment you open the box, to the second you're thumbs hit the joysticks, you can see and feel the premium experience with the ELO Vagabond. This Canadian company's main product is their mobile controller, and that focus has allowed them to obsess over every small detail for an elite gaming experience. Whether you're on a smartphone or small tablet, this controller is ready to be your gaming-on-the-go companion. Many companies won't bother jumping through the hoops to get the Made For iPhone/iPad certification, but ELO has, which further shows their commitment to a quality user experience. With hall effect joysticks and triggers and customizable buttons, this is premium portable controller.
Backbone knock-off
LeadJoy M1C+
Best budget controller
LeadJoy makes a few different gaming accessories including a controller grip that looks very much like the design of the Backbone One. It has a dedicated capture button for screenshots and videos. It also supports attaching magnetic cooling fans if your iPhone gets toasty during a gaming session, but honestly, who has one of those? The price is a little cheaper than Backbone, so if you want to gamble a bit on quality to save a little money, this is an option.
Xbox option
PowerA MOGA Xbox
Works with Xbox Series X Controllers
If you LOVE the feel of your current Xbox controller but want to use the beautiful screen and harness the power of your iPhone 15 pro for gaming, then PowerA MOGA is a fantastic option. The key with their design compared to others is the dual adjustment dials. These allow you to get just the right distance between the screen and the controller as well as a perfect angle for the display. Plus it's a VERY inexpensive option if you want to see whether you even like hardcore gaming on iPhone before investing in something like a Backbone One.
PlayStation option
Orzero Clip On
Works with DualSense controllers
For the exact same reasons we suggested the Xbox controller clip, we also picked this one for PlayStation fans. The dual adustment dials help you precisely setup the postiion of your screen for how you like it. This model works with PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 controllers and comes in black or silver. So if you like gaming on your PlayStation controllers and want to add the phone into the mix, this is a solid choice.
Bottom line
We think Backbone absolutely crushes it in the smartphone gaming controller space.
Most of the quality controllers in this space are around the $100 mark. If you want to splurge and add the subscription to connect your existing gaming services/libraries (Luna, Steam, Game Pass) then adding on the $40 annual membership is a nice-to-have feature. But the Backbone doesn't rely on it's software to make it good, which is why we can confidentally recommend it whether or not you use Backbone Plus.
Overall, the comfort and quality totally justify the $100 price tag. Playing Resident Evil 4 on iPhone using Backbone is a pure joy!
Having said that, if you're new to gaming on iPhone and want to test the waters first, then the PowerA MOGA options are definitely the best clip-on controller mounts for iPhone. This is because you can really dial in the perfect angle for your phone because of the dual adjustment points.
And if you've never experienced gaming on iPad Mini, it is truly a delight. This requires buying a larger mobile gaming controller, but most of those large ones also work for mobile as well. If you're switching between gaming on iPhone and gaming on iPad Mini then hands down we whole-heartedly recommend the Razer Kishi Ultra for many, many reasons.
Gaming on Mobile got a whole lot more interesting since the release of iPhone 15 Pro and Max. And with iPhone 16 models being more capable with the A18 chip, even on the base models you can do some quality gaming. Upgrade to the 16 Pro or Pro Max there's even more poweful gaming opportunity with better better life. Especially great if you have the massive screen of the iPhone 16 Pro Max!
With the screen quality on flagship phones having such high refersh rates and beautiful aesthetics, there's a lot of appeal to gaming on your phone. And with the right controller grip the experience can be even better.
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