Backbone’s free adapter makes it usable with the iPhone 13 Pro

After reading Input’s review of the Backbone One I was eager to try the iPhone controller out for myself. At the time I had the iPhone 12 mini with its wimpy battery life. And while the size was a delight to hold, the phone’s screen never was inviting to gaming.

When I ordered my iPhone 13 Pro, I decided it was finally time to order a Backbone One to pair with it. The new phone had the screen and battery life that I would need for extended mobile gaming, and it even boasted ProMotion for a few games that offer 120Hz support. However this heavenly pairing was not meant to be at the time thanks to the new iPhone’s absolutely massive camera housing.

Backbone was quick to respond and released an adapter for the Backbone One that promised to fix the issue. The company made the very cool decision to make the 3D printing files open source so anyone could print their own, but I don’t have access to my own 3D printer. I opted to take the long route and wait for one of the free adapters Backbone ordered themselves. More than two months later, I finally received my adapter and it’s everything Backbone promised.

Backbone’s adapter is a small piece of silicone. It’s designed to slide over the left side of the controller and nestle the top of your iPhone. Before, the top of the iPhone 13 Pro couldn’t secure in the built in housing, and would often pop out of the grip. This is because the large camera hump prevented the phone from dropping deep enough to lock in. The new adapter gives the phone a new lip to rest in, and gives the camera more lift from the middle plastic, finally letting the iPhone 13 Pro stay locked and secured to game at peace.

The only downside I can see is that there’s very little space between the camera and the back plastic, so if Apple makes the iPhone 14 or 15 bumps any bigger Backbone may be back to square one. The adapter also doesn’t make it so you can use third party cases with the Backbone One, so we’re still going to have to wait for a new model controller for that feature.

So if you’ve been avoiding grabbing a Backbone One because of iPhone 13 Pro compatibility, rest easy. You’ll have to wait to get one from Backbone, but the company is now making the new adapter a free add on from the product page for new buyers. If you have access to a 3D printer you should have no hesitation.