8Bitdo Ultimate Mobile Gaming Controller for Android devices, Bluetooth Mobile Game Controller with Hall Effect Joysticks and Hall Triggers (Black)

I like it better than the Backbone. It's a lot more sturdy, which is very nice. I ended up getting the 8BitDo because my right stick broke on my backbone after having it for only 2 months. I believe it's just the plastic part of the joystick and I'm pretty sure it's just cracked. The joystick still actually has a little tension like it is moving but I can't click the stick and I hear more cracking each time. The 8bitDo feels like an actual game controller in my hand. It's comfortable. The sticks feel sturdy. The buttons feel nice. It reminds me of an Xbox controller. There's a couple of things I liked on the backbone over this one. Biggest thing was the backbone actually connected through my USB C port. I like the actual hardware connection but after using the 8BitDo for a day, I've had no problems with the Bluetooth connection. It was pretty easy to pair. The battery on the 8BitDo is good. I've been playing all day without having to charge it yet. I haven't tested it but I'm probably never going to . Manual says 10 hours of play but there's no way I'm playing 10 hours straight so I'm perfectly fine with that. Now the backbone has no battery but it doesn't need one. Draws the power it needs from the phone. To me, that really doesn't matter that much at all though. There's two paddle buttons on the back of the 8BitDo which means it has two more buttons than the backbone. One of the things I really like on the 8BitDo is the fact that you can leave your case on your phone. I have a Samsung Galaxy a54 with a OtterBox Defender Series case. It fits right in with about a quarter inch to spare. it's approximately 6 and 15/16 inches fully expanded. In conclusion, if I would have been able to test out the 8BitDo and the backbone before I made a purchase I definitely would have went with the 8BitDo in the first place.

I bought this on impulse on pre-order, got it, connected it to my Pixel 8, used it once, and then found I didn't really know what I had purchased it for exactly. So I ended up putting it away for a while. I've never connected it to my PC or looked for any updates. I upgraded my phone to the Pixel 9, and then Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown was ported to mobile, and it looked amazing.Charged this up, connected to my phone, loaded up the trial, completed the trial, bought the game, found a new travel companion in this controller. It's rock solid, I've noticed no lag, and this game is unforgiving on missed inputs but it's keeping up like it's wired.However, a few things of note: I don't have particularly large hands, but I noticed with the weight of the phone in the holder, it wears on your hands and makes it a little hard to get to the face buttons without accidentally jogging the right analog stick. This is more likely after some play time. Finding a position to sit it that takes some of the weight off my hands helped, and it's completely possible to simply use a stand for the phone and use the controller without the weight.I don't completely understand if I have an issue or not, but when I plug it in to charge, it looks like the controller powers on, and can stay on after I unplug it. This has led to several occasions I turn it on for the first time that day and it's at 85% battery instead of 100. I've found I can manually turn it off after taking it off the charger, which I think is odd behavior. I'm going to look for firmware updates today.I'm reading in other reviews that samsung phones with google keyboards are having trouble with this; all I can say is it's not exclusively the google keyboard, as that's standard on the Pixels and I have zero lag with this controller so far. I've made no changes or tweaks to my phone to get this controller to work, it just does.

UPDATE: problem goes away when i switch from GBoard (Google's Keyboard app) to Samsung's or another 3rd party keyboard. Controller is super responsive and feels great to use! Would highly recommend this controller now.Original Review[Makes my Galaxy S22 Unusable] i really wanted to like this controller, but it's impossible to use on my phone. the moment it connects, the system UI lags and hangs and crashes. it also prevents the keyboard from opening as long as it is connected. it doesnt seem the software can be updated, and it can't be customized with the ultimate software. the build quality is really, really good though. if I can get a new revision, I would in a heartbeat.to note: no issues on my brother's Galaxy S24 ultra, so mileage may vary. buyer beware.