The Backbone Pro controller delivers the best mobile gaming experiences on any device – large or small. The new controller allows gamers to opt for handheld mode or wireless mode as desired. It wants to give players the kind of flexibility that fits multiple gaming styles.
Maneet Khaira, founder and CEO of Backbone Labs, the company that developed the prototype he tested, found an enthusiastic reception to his cool tech. He lamented that it caused him to “totally lose my mind! The Backwhen family of products, and especially the Backbone Pro, have cost the company big bucks in blood sweat and tears. They tested prototypes with almost 9,000 different people, winningly developing 30 unique market research reports to ensure it exceeds expectations for functionality and use.
The crew at Backbone Labs is over 50 creative minds deep. Or so we thought until we got our hands on their incredible dedication to ergonomics, design and overall controller perfection. Khaira emphasized the importance of creating a comfortable feel for users, noting, “The reason we have to do so many iterations is to get the ergonomics and the hand feeling to be accurate and comfortable.”
The journey that started with the Backbone Pro has been an exciting one for the team. They tested over 100 unique textures and spent hours calculating the ideal distance between buttons. Khaira emphasized the importance of creating a compact design. He remarked, “The amount of engineering that went into compressing the form factor down was quite significant,” and emphasized that achieving this balance requires fine-tuning to reach “a sweet spot.”
The Backbone Pro’s battery life is great, with up to 40 hours durability. That’s right on the heels of the most popular controllers on the market — Sony’s DualSense and Microsoft’s Xbox controller! This extended life means no-hassle long gaming sessions with less downtime for recharging. Khaira emphasized that their goal is to enable a seamless gaming experience, stating, “That’s what creates a seamless connection between your mind and the game.”
Khaira continued that Backbone Labs is poised to change the gaming industry. They are democratizing gaming for users to be able to play any game, on any platform, on any screen, from anywhere. He stated, “This could be just one device that you can access to play on every screen. And that’s where we think really the future is going to go.” The company has created sophisticated hardware and software components that operate smoothly and seamlessly with one another in the service of this vision.
Today Backbone Labs has captured the imagination of tech industry leaders and venture capitalists. Interestingly, both Index Ventures and Ashton Kutcher’s Sound Ventures have invested in the company. Key figures in the gaming world, including Discord CEO Jason Citron and Sonos CEO Patrick Spence have publicly supported the company. Khaira thinks the best talent for designing next-generation controllers sits in Silicon Valley — controllers where hardware meets software innovation.
With its strong foundation and commitment to quality, Backbone Labs’ app ranked No. 4 in its category on the App Store during the holiday season. Khaira remarked on the fast-paced culture at Backbone Labs, saying, “You can have 100 times the development velocity,” as they integrate a high-velocity approach with accountability reminiscent of companies like Apple.