Forget the PlayStation Portal, this deal gives you the same thing for less

(Image credit: Backbone / Future)

published 8 March 2024

There's no doubt about it, the PlayStation Portal has been a bit of a revelation since launch – becoming so popular that it sells out each and every time Sony manages to release more stock.

But, did you know that you can effectively turn your iPhone into roughly the same thing? In fact, you can make it into an even better, more rounded handheld gaming machine.

All you need is a game controller like the Backbone One, which clips onto either side of your Apple device and gives you a full set of control options to play games streamed from your home PlayStation 5 or even through cloud services, such as Xbox Cloud Gaming.

With the PS5 Remote Play app, it even works exactly the same as the Portal, allowing you to connect to your home console and play anything stored on it. And the best news is that the Backbone One for iPhones with Lightning connectivity has a massive discount right now.

That includes the one officially licensed by PlayStation.

Why buy the Backbone One?

The Backbone One is one of the best mobile controllers out there, with great and responsive thumbsticks and buttons, plus zero latency thanks to a direct connection.

The Lightning version is for those with iPhones up to and including the iPhone 14 family. As Apple changed to USB-C for the iPhone 15, you'll need that version instead if that's your phone.

The controller can also be used with supported games on Apple's App Store, so really turns your handset into an all-round portable games machine. It comes with a 3.5mm headset jack and pass-through charging too.

Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.

Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.