Why I skipped local Belgian tech shops for my Backbone One Gen 2 PlayStation Edition

Why I wanted the Gen 2 PlayStation Edition in 2026

I have been using my phone for PlayStation Remote Play for a while now, but the Gen 2 update that solidified its place in 2026 really caught my eye. The Backbone One (USB-C Gen 2) PlayStation Edition finally solved my biggest headache: the need to remove my phone case every time I wanted to play. With the new magnetic adapters and the expanded USB-C compatibility for both high-end Androids and the latest iPhones, it felt like the right time to upgrade my mobile setup.

Start Your Buy For Me Request for Backbone One (USB-C Gen 2) - PlayStation Edition

Merchant Backbone Amazon US Target US

Ship To Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Korea North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin (French part) Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten (Dutch part) Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States United States Minor Outlying Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands

Your Email

Product Url ^*

Product Name ^*

Unit Price (USD)^*

EST Service Fee: $10.0 $5.0

Quantity ^*

Color

Size

Instructions

Submit your proxy shopping order now and enjoy 50% OFF the service fee.

Plus, get 10% OFF international shipping on your first shipment.

Submit Order

I love the aesthetic of the PlayStation Edition. It matches my PS5 perfectly, and the buttons feel much more tactile than the original version. However, when I started looking at where to buy it, I ran into a bit of a snag.

The Belgian price gap and the hidden retail barrier

We gamers in Belgium often face a frustrating reality when it comes to specialized tech. While the Backbone One Gen 2 is widely available in the US at competitive prices, the local Belgian retail outlets often mark up the price significantly. I noticed that after converting USD to EUR, the price in our local shops was still nearly 30% higher than the US MSRP. This "hidden barrier" of localized pricing and limited stock makes it hard to justify buying locally.

I decided to look into getting it sent from America. By using a tax-free us address provided by comGateway, I could shop like a US resident and avoid the immediate sales tax at the point of purchase in the States. It made the base price of the controller much more attractive compared to what I saw in Brussels or Antwerp stores.

Shipping estimates and logistics for Belgium

Before I pulled the trigger, I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to get hit with astronomical shipping fees. I used an estimate shipping cost tool to get my numbers straight. If you are planning to do the same, here is the data I used for my shipment:

How I handled the purchase from US stores

Some US retailers can be picky about non-US credit cards. When I tried to buy from a specific US-only electronics outlet, my transaction didn't go through. I ended up using the BuyForMe service. It was pretty straightforward; I just told them what I wanted, and they handled the purchase on my behalf. It saved me the trouble of trying to find a store that accepted my Belgian card.

Once the item arrived at my US address, I was notified via the help center notifications. I could see the actual weight and confirm that everything looked good before it was sent across the Atlantic. If you have questions about how long they can hold your items, the FAQ section on their site is actually very detailed.

Dealing with customs and import duties in Belgium

The part that worries most people in Belgium is the border. We have to deal with import duties and the standard 21% VAT. I've found that it is always better to calculate this beforehand so there are no surprises when the courier knocks on your door. You can check out a detailed guide on customs tax to see how these fees are structured for electronics.

Even after adding the Belgian VAT and the international shipping service fees, I still ended up paying less than the retail price I found in local shops. Plus, I got the PlayStation Edition much faster than waiting for the local restock, which has been notoriously slow in 2026.

Final thoughts on my experience

I'm really happy with how this turned out. The Backbone One Gen 2 is a massive improvement for my daily commute on the train. My phone fits perfectly even with its rugged case, and the Remote Play experience is seamless. If you are tired of the limited options and high prices in Belgium, shopping from the US is a very viable alternative. Just make sure you use a reliable freight forwarder to manage the journey for you.