Sony is exploring a PlayStation controller that could do more than handle your next boss fight. A newly published patent application describes transferring payment information through a controller, potentially letting players tap a phone or card against it when making a purchase.
In brief:
- Sony’s patent proposes using a controller to transfer payment information to a console.
- Phones and cards could offer a shortcut during checkout.
- The concept also covers account information, with potential uses for signing in.
- This is a patent application, not a confirmed PlayStation feature.
How Sony’s PlayStation Controller Payment Patent Would Work
The application, titled “Video Game Controller-Driven Information Transfer,” describes a controller acting as the middleman between a nearby device and the console.
According to reports, the console could request payment information, prompting the controller to detect a nearby device. Information would then travel from that device through the controller to the PlayStation.
The filing discusses payment information associated with credit accounts, bank accounts, gift cards, and digital wallets. Purchases could include games, gaming credits and in-app content.
Entering payment details with an analogue stick and an on-screen keyboard is tedious. Bringing a phone to the controller could make that process much quicker.
Phone Payments and Account Sign-Ins Are Part of the Idea
Payments are only one possible use. The concept also includes transferring account details from a phone, which could make signing into a friend’s console less of a chore.
That could be useful during local multiplayer sessions, especially when several players need to access their accounts.
Is Sony Bringing Tap Payments to PS5 or PS6?
There is no confirmed rollout for PS5, PS6, or a specific controller. The patent describes a possible system, and it does not establish which payment providers or cards a finished product would support.
A faster checkout is a straightforward convenience, but the account transfer side could be just as useful. Whether either idea reaches players will depend on Sony turning the filing into actual hardware and software.
