Backbone’s versatile pro controller is nearly matching its best price to date

Mobile gaming has come a long way over the course of the last decade or so, but we all know that smartphones simply can’t match the visceral, tactile feel you get while playing with a dedicated controller. Luckily, Backbone makes some excellent mobile options — including last year’s Backbone Pro, which is on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target right now for $139.99 ($30 off), its second-best price to date.

In many ways, Backbone’s latest mobile controller is merely an updated take on what came before. The handheld device consists of two oblong halves with an extendable strip of plastic in the middle, allowing you to use it with Android devices and iPhone 15, 16, and 17 series phones. It plugs into your phone’s USB-C port and, once connected, you can game with two full-sized ALPs thumbsticks, a responsive D-pad, and A, B, X, and Y buttons. It also features two programmable back buttons, a 3.5mm headphone jack, better ergonomics than your phone, and averages up to 40 hours of battery life on a single charge.

The hardware is only part of the equation, though. Backbone’s intent with the Pro is for it to function as a more universal gamepad, and as such, the company’s software pulls together games from Apple Arcade, Netflix, Google Play, and other services into a singular app, allowing you to discover and launch games with little fuss. What’s more, you can use it to stream Xbox or PlayStation games — either from your console or the cloud —and connect it to a wealth of other devices via Bluetooth, including your PC, Steam Deck, and Apple devices like the iPad and Mac. Sure, the beefy controller looks a little awkward when you’re using it without a phone, but it’s a small price to pay for its added versatility.

More ways to save today

• Nothing’s latest CMF smartwatch, the CMF Watch 3 Pro, is still available from Amazon and Nothing in a multitude of colors for $79 ($20 off), which is about $5 shy of its best price to date. It’s pretty slick-looking for a budget watch, with a 1.43-inch OLED display, 131 sports modes, dual-band GPS, and a four-channel heart rate sensor. It also delivers up to 13 days of battery life under normal use and supports all your typical app integrations (Strava, Apple Health, etc.), though the lack of customizable bezels — a hallmark of the Watch Pro 2 — certainly does sting a bit.
• If you missed your chance to play Hogwarts Legacy upon its debut in 2023, Amazon and Walmart are both offering the Nintendo Switch 2 version for $29.99 ($20 off), an all-time low. The Switch 2 version is a substantially better port than the original in terms of performance, and while I found the open-world RPG to be a little generic / dated at times, diehard Harry Potter fans will surely appreciate the ability to roam around Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and all the fan-favorite locales from the landmark book series.
• Govee’s quirky Outdoor Garden Lights are currently on sale at Amazon and Govee’s online storefront for $99.99 ($70 off), matching the all-time low we last saw during Christmas. The stemmed, color-changing smart lights support 64 preset RGBIC scenes and carry a robust IP66 rating, meaning you shouldn’t have to worry about using them outside year-round. Plus, they support the newer Matter standard, allowing you to control them with smart home platforms like Amazon Alexa and Google Home.