Backbone announces Death Stranding controller for the iOS release

Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is coming to Apple devices on Jan. 30, and one of the best phone controllers around is getting a limited-edition version to celebrate. The Backbone One controller has a design that’s inspired by Death Stranding, and it comes with a free App Store code for the game, which can be redeemed for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. According to a page on Backbone’s site that no longer shows the controller, the package will cost $125 when it becomes available to buy on Jan. 30 at 8 p.m. ET.

The controller’s yellow and transparent design is reminiscent of the exclusive DualShock 4 controller that came out when the game initially debuted on PS4 in 2019. While Backbone was clearly inspired by the hue of the BB pod, I can’t help but look at it and think about pee.

The Backbone One snaps around your smartphone for power, turning it into a pretty convincing handheld gaming console once installed. It has all of the buttons and triggers that console controllers do, which should make Death Stranding’s complex controls a lot easier. Unlike the regular Backbone One, which only worked with iPhones that have a Lightning port, the Death Stranding version works with USB-C, so iPhone 15 owners and Android users can both use it.

There are a ton of strange elements in Death Stranding: the energy drinks, the advertising for Ride with Norman Reedus, the thumb-sucking baby inside someone’s throat. (The list goes on from there.) However, some of its most fascinating fixations were about pee and poop. You can weaponize both, turning them into grenades that actually made sense in terms of the game’s story. If you’re still reading this, then maybe this is the controller for you.

Death Stranding: Director’s Cut will release for Apple devices on Jan. 31.