# Backbone vs Petersen Drive

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Petersen Drive at none against Backbone's 16. Petersen Drive also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). Backbone's advantage is chart position (#69 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Backbone sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Petersen Drive asks for nothing beyond the download.

Backbone ships an update every 3 weeks, Petersen Drive every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backbone | Petersen Drive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (101K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backbone-next-level-play/id1449660663/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **101K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 51.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#69** | — |
| Size | 441 MB | 160 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Backbone Labs, Inc. (US)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1449660662) | [Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/1043182498) |

## What reviewers say

### Backbone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backbone-next-level-play/id1449660663)

**Currently charting:** #69 Top Grossing · Social Networking, #109 Top Free · Social Networking (US App Store)

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a powerful gaming console. Play a wide range of games and services, record and share epic gameplay moments, and connect with friends for seamless multiplayer experiences. Discover and launch your favorite controller-supported games from a single app.

**Highlights:** Play any game or service supporting controllers, Record, edit, and share gameplay clips, Automatic highlight detection, Friend notifications and in-app voice chat, Centralized game launcher

**Features:** Game Controller support

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Backbone+ | $3.99 | per month |
| Backbone+ | $3.99 | per month |
| Backbone+ | $7.99 | per month |
| Backbone+ | $29.99 | per year |
| Backbone+ | $29.99 | per year |
| Backbone+ | $39.99 | per year |
| Backbone+ | $39.99 | per year |
| Backbone+ | $39.99 | per year |
| Backbone+ | $39.99 | per year |
| Backbone+ | $39.99 | per year |
| Backbone+ | $39.99 | per year |
| Backbone+ 4 | $39.99 | per year |
| Backbone+ | $49.99 | per year |
| Backbone+ | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great gaming experience
- 👍 Seamless integration with app
- 🎮 Feels like a dedicated gaming device
- 💡 Turns phone into a portable console
- 🎨 Sleek and premium design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Locked features behind paywall
- 🔌 Requires removing phone case
- 🎮 Ergonomics not ideal for all games
- 🐛 Connectivity issues and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Random disconnections during gameplay
- App crashes and freezes
- Issues with controller button mapping
- Incompatibility with certain games

**Requested features**

- Allow use without subscription
- Add more customization options
- Improve compatibility with various phone models
- Integrate with more cloud gaming services


### Petersen Drive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/petersen-drive/id6744315428)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backbone free?

Backbone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Petersen Drive free?

Petersen Drive is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Backbone or Petersen Drive have ads?

Neither Backbone nor Petersen Drive shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Backbone or Petersen Drive?

Backbone ships an update every 3 weeks, and Petersen Drive every 11 days. Most recently, Backbone was updated on October 20, 2026 and Petersen Drive on October 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*