Controller Wars: Backbone One vs Razer Kishi

You’ve heard of Console Wars but it’s likely you have heard of Controller Wars. This is the latest battle in the gaming world. The mobile gaming market is huge, and whoever can dominate here will reap huge rewards. Here we feature two huge players in the iPhone mobile controller space: Backbone One vs Razer Kishi.

Backbone One vs Razer Kishi

It’s worth taking a very quick look at the key similarities and differences before going into a bit more detail. Although they are both high-quality iPhone Controllers, I’m sure you will agree with me that there is a clear winner by the end of this.

Bakbone One vs Razer Kishi: The Key Similarities

Both of these controllers have some similarities in how they work. For example, in order to use them, you need to download their respective apps from the App Store.

Without doing this, the controllers won’t work. They also both work strictly for iPhones though there is an Android Razer Kishi version available.

You can play a huge catalog of Apple Arcade games as well as others. Additionally, they are both similarly priced at about one hundred dollars.

Backbone One vs Razer Kishi: The Key Differences

The Backbone One has a really nice easy to use design. You simply slide it open, put your iPhone into it, and you’re good to go. This controller will also fit any size iPhone and is also very grippy.

On the other hand, the Razer Kishi controller has a latched open design that does take a little bit of extra work to use before popping your iPhone into it. However, it’s still an excellent controller.

Razer Kishi

The Razer Kishi is just perfect for iOS gaming. This gamepad was presented at CES 2020; and became a legend for all advanced gamers, not only in the Apple world but also in Android. For full details, make sure you check out our Razer Kishi Review.

Of course, it is from Razer, a brand that always praises 100% quality, ergonomics, and convenience. The Razer Kishi is incredibly comfortable in terms of button layout and general use, works great with Apple Arcade apps, and has a simple yet thoughtful design that really helps you play without getting in the way like many cheaper models.

Razer Kishi Design

It’s a mobile gamepad you want to take with you on a trip, it’s easy to install an iPhone in it, and the buttons are designed to resemble the original joysticks of iconic consoles.

The rubberized area that is in contact with the smartphone is replaceable. The case comes in two pairs of different sizes, one for the larger iPhones and one for the smaller ones. It is worth noting that, to use the accessory, you will need to remove the case from your smartphone.

Razer Kishi’s design is made of two sides joined by a retractable/expandable strap, allowing you to fit many different iPhone models into it. The official list cites 6, 6s Plus, 7 Plus, 8 Plus, X, XR, XS, XS Max, 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max — apparently, the 4.7-inch models were left out, which explains the absence of the new iPhone SE.

After connecting your iPhone, just use it: Kishi’s button layout is similar to Xbox joysticks, with two clickable analog sticks at different heights and A/B/X/Y buttons, plus a directional pad and four shoulder buttons ( L1/R1 and L2/R2).

You also have a start button, one that leads to the game menu, and a pause/options button.

The Razer Kishi also has four LED indicators, channels for sound output from the speakers, and a Lightning port. You can use it to recharge your iPhone while gaming.

Razer Kishi Compatible Games

Unfortunately, unlike the Backbone One, Razer does not make it easy to know if a game is compatible or not. There is no exhaustive list from the manufacturer. Instead, you must check each game individually to see if they support controllers or not.

Backbone One

The Backbone One wireless controller is recommended for purchase by the world champion of Call of Duty – Nadeshot. You can definitely trust this guy. Also, make sure to check out our iPhone Backbone One Controller Review.

Backbone One Design

The design of the gamepad is quite similar to the Razer Kishi: setting the iPhone in tight snares, connecting, and quickly responding to commands.

However, the location of the buttons themselves here is a little different from consoles which can confuse players who are just starting out in the world of mobile gaming.

Despite this, you will definitely not be disappointed when you purchase it. After all, the Backbone One gamepad managed to combine practical design, compactness, and the ability to share your achievements on Instagram. 

At first glance, you have a traditional-shaped joystick for iPhone, with two sides joined by a central strap that can be stretched to accommodate your device, whatever size it is — support everything from iPhone 6s to iPhone 12, with iOS 13 installed.

It has two traditional analog buttons, a directional pad, the A, B, X, and Y command buttons, and four trigger buttons.

The iPhone controller has a Lightning connector, which means zero latency, and you don’t need to recharge it (since it takes power from the iPhone itself), and it even has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Backbone One Compatible Games

Backbone One is compatible with any game that supports joysticks, including Apple Arcade. You can see the full list of compatible games here. It even includes the hugely popular CoD Mobile.

Backbone One App

The joystick’s greatest selling point is the interaction with its own application, the Backbone App. It brings some extra features to the experience.

The accessory has, for example, a button that immediately starts capturing your game (up to 1080p and 30 frames per second) and saves everything in the app. From there, you can share the content with your friends or post it on social networks.

The application also has several social functions: it is possible to open games from the app and interact with your friends (there is a kind of internal mini-social network).

If a contact of yours who also uses Backbone One starts playing something, you can receive a notification to join the game and start communicating with them.

Which One to Buy: Backbone One vs Razer Kishi

The Backbone One and Razer Kishi Controller for Xbox Cloud Gaming are impressive gadgets. And both devices offer pretty much similar device-to-device features.

Both the Backbone One and Razer Kishi Controller are available at a similar price. However, Backbone is offering three months of Xbox Cloud Gaming subscription for free.

When it comes to an Xbox Cloud Gaming subscription and having an audio jack, the Backbone One clearly wins. But if you prefer Razer, you can also choose this brand, as it offers almost similar characteristics and performance.

I like the design of the Backbone, it’s easier just to slide your iPhone into it as opposed to having to use that latch design on the Kishi, plus this thing’s grippy.

Indeed, the Backbone One also has a much larger catalog of games that it is compatible with and they also make it much easier for you to check all the games it can be used with.

Overall, the iPhone Backbone One feels like the clear winner in this edition of Controller Wars: Backbone One vs Razer Kishi.

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