The Backbone Pro controller is $20 off for a limited time

If you’ve ever thought “it’d sure be nice to have just one controller to use between my phone, tablet, and TV,” then the Backbone Pro might be made for you. Backbone’s newest gamepad has the same phone-hugging design as its 2020 predecessor, but comes with a handful of distinct features — the most notable being that it can be paired via Bluetooth to any number of devices, not just phones. The rechargeable controller just got its first temporary price cut, going from $169.99 to $149.99 at Amazon and Best Buy. Best Buy indicates this sale will expire at the end of the day.

The Pro features more robust grips and bigger analog sticks (they’re ALPS, not Hall effect, sadly) while retaining the original’s hallmark feature, which is that Android and iPhone models with a USB-C port can be inserted into the controller, from which you can launch into Backbone’s polished dashboard. It effectively turns your phone into a console, with the ability to snap/record clips, chat with friends through the platform, and livestream, if you wish. It also has a USB-C port for passthrough charging, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and two customizable rear paddles.

The Pro offers more versatility than the original (the Pro is a solid wireless Steam Deck controller), and can perform a cool party trick, if you have the right hardware and subscriptions. If you start an Xbox cloud game streaming session from your phone, you can resume it from a TV that supports the Xbox app, and easily switch the Pro to control it there instead via Backbone’s mobile app.

While few competitors attempt Backbone’s multipurpose pairing, some outshine the Pro when it comes to being able to fit more devices, namely iPads and other tablets. The GameSir G8 Plus is $79.99 and can fit an iPad mini or a Nintendo Switch. The $199.99 Razer Kishi V3 Pro XL can be widened to fit a 13-inch tablet in its maw, and features TMR thumbsticks and a six-month subscription to Apple Arcade.

Other Verge-approved deals

• Looking for an affordable desktop GPU that includes a free code for Battlefield 6? You could do a lot worse than the stock Intel Arc B580, which is $259.99 at B&H Photo. (A prettier model from ASRock that includes more fans is just $10 more at Newegg, costing $269.99.) The B580 is a reasonably priced midrange graphics card aimed at gamers who are content playing games at 1080p resolution, although some games might perform well at 1440p. For example, it’s the GPU that EA recommends for 60 frames per second gameplay at 1440p for Battlefield 6, even if the rest of your system’s components aren’t all that recent. Here are the recommended specs
• AllTrails’ Labor Day special on its Plus tier hiking software is still happening. Normally $35.99 per year, it costs $17.99 to sign up for a year. AllTrails Plus offers a bunch of perks for hikers and trail lovers, including offline map downloads, an ad-free experience, printable maps, smart alerts if you make wrong turns, and a bevy of social features. My colleague Elizabeth Lopatto put AllTrails through a real-world test, up against its biggest competitors in the space, Gaia and CalTopo. Her conclusion was that there’s no perfect hiking software, but that “AllTrails offered better route-planning features, while Gaia was more reliable on the trail.” If you’re curious about hiking software, picking up a year of AllTrails Plus at half price seems worth a shot.
• The JBL Tour Pro 2 wireless earbuds are down to $134.95 at Amazon, a significant discount from its original $249.95 price. These are JBL’s high-end earbuds that include a charging case with a built-in screen on the front. The screen does a decent job at replicating some features that you’d otherwise find on a smartwatch. For instance, it’ll show who’s calling, and let you either answer or reject the call. It can also alert you when you’ve received a text, although it won’t show the contents on its screen (that’s either a plus or a minus, depending on who you ask). In terms of sound quality, former Verge reviewer Chris Welch preferred Apple’s AirPods Pro and Sennheiser’s Momentum 3 to these, but at almost half-price, JBL’s set is worth considering. Read our review