Sony patent describes PlayStation controller that takes payment details from a phone
Sony filed a provisional patent in 2025 for a controller that would use NFC or Bluetooth to receive payment or account details from a nearby phone and pass them to the console. It appears as Sony prepares to end physical disc production in 2028.
Sony, the Japanese electronics and video game company, filed a provisional patent in 2025 titled "Video game controller-driven information transfer". It describes a PlayStation console controller that would let players send payment details or account information to the console using a nearby phone. The aim is to make buying digital games easier.
How it would work
According to the patent, the controller would detect a nearby device such as a phone. The phone would receive a signal and send a confirmation to the controller, which would then pass the data to the console. Proximity detection could use NFC (near-field communication), Bluetooth or both. NFC is the technology behind contactless payments on iPhones, Apple Watches and other smartphones.
NFC-equipped controllers are not entirely new: both the Wii U GamePad and the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller use it to scan amiibo figures.
The messages would be triggered by what the patent calls "an event that has occurred at the video game console". This could be buying a game, entering gift card details or joining a multiplayer match. The patent's diagrams also suggest that players could log into their PlayStation account with a tap, including on a friend's console. Creating a passkey has already simplified this for some users, but a tap would be quicker still.
Context
Sony has announced it will move fully to digital formats and stop producing physical discs in 2028. In that setting, an easier checkout process for PlayStation owners seems logical. New patents from Sony and Microsoft are also appearing, one of the most divisive being Microsoft's plan to interrupt games with ads. This points to the next generation of PlayStation consoles drawing closer.
A patent does not mean the device will reach the market, and it remains to be seen whether the idea will be put into practice.
