The USB-C Backbone One (second-gen) offers the same experience as the Lightning version pictured.
As good as the Backbone One is (read our review of the original version), it can be hard to justify earmarking $100 for a mobile gaming controller. Even at its common $70 sale price, you’re entering pro controller territory. That said, a 50 percent discount for the second-gen Backbone One (USB-C) seems worth jumping over the fence for. Today only, you can get it for $49.99 at Best Buy, which is a record low price and just in time for the Resident Evil 2 remake that’s soon launching on the iPhone.
The Backbone One’s USB-C connector means it works both with Android smartphones and iPhones 15 or newer. It’s sleek with a bubbly grip sized just right to comfortably reach any of its face buttons, triggers, bumpers, or analog sticks. Ergonomically, it’ll lose to bulkier controllers, but should feel pretty good in most hands and is infinitely better than pecking away at the screen. The controller also has USB-C passthrough charging and 3.5mm for headphones and headsets.
The Best Buy-exclusive Warzone Mobile edition on sale here is mostly a spiritual tie-in: it’s visually and functionally identical to the standard Backbone One, but comes with free in-game rewards. You can use it with any games or apps with controller support, including cloud streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce Now. The purchase includes a free one-month trial of Backbone Plus ($40 a year afterward), which unlocks more app features like gameplay recording, live streaming, and Play on Any Screen (the latter enabling wired gaming on PC and tablets). You’ll also get three months of Apple Arcade ($7 a month value).
More deals and discounts
The Logitech G203 Lightsync is on sale starting at $18.99 ($21 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Logitech. The wired gaming mouse doesn’t boast the same button count or overall features from the brand’s flagship models. That said, it still has six programmable buttons total, plus an accurate sensor 8,000 DPI optical sensor and a scroll wheel with lock. It even has a touch of RGB lighting that you can customize with your favorite colors or sync to the action in your game using the G Hub app.
You can get the Anker Power Bank (30W, Fusion, Built-In USB-C Cable) in black for $19.99 (50 percent off) from Amazon when clipping the on-page coupon. The versatile travel-friendly charger has a built-in folding wall plug on one end to charge the 5,000mAh battery inside, but you can use the USB-C cable on the opposite end to do the same. There’s versatility in charging modes, too — you can use it in battery mode with the USB-C cable to charge smartphones or other devices at 22.5W speeds, or plug it into an AC outlet and use it as a 30W USB-C adapter.
Besides its name potentially stoking cravings for a sweet roll, the Ultimate Ears Miniroll may pique your interest for other reasons, one being the record low $49.99 price Amazon, Sweetwater, and Ultimate Ears have it for right now. The portable Bluetooth speaker is circular, roundish, and small enough to stow in a bag or pocket, and the integrated clip lets you attach it to belt loops, straps, pole, and any other object thin enough to clamp. The IP67 speaker has oversized buttons and floats in water, too, and lasts up to 12 hours per charge. You can buy a second one and sync it for stereo sound, but you may find it surprisingly loud on its own.