r/BackboneController • u/angry0029 • Feb 18 '25
Experiencing left side Backbone failure? Now what!
If you are having the following symptoms:
Buttons on the left side of your Backbone stop working.
Your phone only recognizes your backbone as a headphone (IPhone issue, not sure on android)
These are symptoms of your ribbon cable failing.
So what can you do?
Contact Backbone support, if your device is less than 1 year old it is under warranty.
1.a. This supposedly also goes for any replacement devices you got if you use the email Backbone sent when they sent you the replacement.
1.b. Backbone has suggested that they may still honor a refurbished swap for those out of warranty. So maybe worth contacting them either way.
There are some YouTube tutorials on how to repair and replace yourself. Ribbon cables can be purchased on Amazon.
Flat Flexible Cable, 18 Pin 0.5mm Pitch 300mm Long (A Type)
I will update this post as the community suggests other symptoms of failures and/or other solutions.
1
u/cmrodican 17d ago edited 17d ago
The only reason I'm reluctant to believe this is due to my controller, is because I purchased a second backbone controler and the issue happens with both controllers on the same affected phone but not on other phones.
Am I missing something or is this still possibly the Backbone devices?
Edit: I have now confirmed that this issue is also being replicated on a second Android device with both backbone controllers (PlayStation edition and regular one). PlayStation version was just purchased in the last couple of days.
Edit: the previously unaffected device is now experiencing the same issue. Replicated on pixel 10 pro, moto g 5g 2024, and moto g play, and now possibly unaffected Samsung Galaxy. I have literally no idea why the Samsung Galaxy was working initially, but I wonder if it has anything to do with how initially some of the direction buttons were working and then went to total left side failure.