Sony introduces a new iPhone-friendly PS5-styled gamepad controller. Here’s why it is bizarre

Sony is betting big on gaming, and hence has decided to go all in and get a bigger share of the proverbial pie. After releasing a new gaming headset and a couple of monitors, the Japanese tech company is slowly getting into the market of accessories for mobile gaming.

Sony recently partnered up with Backbone, a joystick and gamepad developer, to make a PlayStation 5’s DualSense-like version of the excellent Backbone One mobile controller for Apple’s iPhone. 

Backbone One is one of the highest-selling third part accessory makers for mobile gaming in the US. They already have a controller, called the Backbone One which was designed for gaming on iPhones. The device can handle iPhones across all sizes. It also allows users to play PlayStation games via Remote Play, Sony’s mobile app that streams games from your PS4 or PS5 console.

The original Backbone One had borrowed the layout and the buttons for its controllers from Xbox’s design - they had the XABY buttons, and offset joysticks. For the PS5 version, Sony and Backbone have only replaced the buttons in the schematic. There is a very good chance that this is the only Sony product that has offset joysticks. Also, the Sony version of the Backbone One connects with the iPhone wirelessly.

But that’s not the reason why the PS5-styled Backbone One for iOS is an odd thing. It is odd because Sony decided to make one at all. 

Gaming on iOS used to be huge at one point, but not anymore. Even though iOS has more games than Android, at about 9,00,000 titles as opposed to 3,50,000, the number of gamers on Android far exceeds the number of gamers on iOS. 

Furthermore, competitive mobile gamers, who also influence the amateur market, are dominated by users who use Android devices. Therefore, it would have made more sense if Sony and Backbone had made a gamepad for Android users first.

Backbone has a Backbone One gamepad for Android users that works similarly to their original, iOS only Backbone One. However, where iOS devices connect wirelessly, Android devices need to be connected with a cable. Sony plans on releasing a Backbone One for Android in November this year. We just hope that it isn’t a wired device.