Newshot Sony's New Patent: PlayStation Controllers May Support Tap-to-Transfer with Phones, Making Payments and Sign-Ins More Convenient
IT之家, November 15: Today, consumers increasingly seek convenience, and buying digital games already saves them the trouble of going to physical stores. A provisional patent filed by Sony in 2025 seems to aim to simplify the purchase process even further.
The patent, titled “Video game controller-driven information transfer,” describes a possible new feature for PlayStation controllers: using near-field interaction technology similar to what is commonly found in smartphones and supermarket checkout counters, the controller communicates with a nearby phone to transmit payment information or account data to the game console with one tap.
IT之家 notes that Sony previously announced it would fully shift to digital games starting in 2028 and stop producing physical game discs. In that context, further simplifying the purchase process for PlayStation users seems only natural.
Whether Sony’s controller patent will ultimately become an actual product is still unknown, but from a user-experience perspective, it does have a certain appeal.
According to the patent description, the controller can detect nearby devices, such as smartphones. After detecting a device, the phone receives a signal from the controller and sends confirmation information back to the controller, which then transmits the relevant information to the game console.
This short-range detection and communication can be implemented through NFC (near-field communication), a Bluetooth connection, or a combination of both.
NFC is the key technology behind contactless payments supported by many devices today, including iPhone, Apple Watch, and other smartphones. In fact, NFC-enabled game controllers are nothing new—任天堂 Wii U GamePad and Nintendo Switch Pro Controller can both use this short-range communication technology to scan amiibo character figures.
The patent also mentions that these information transfer operations would be triggered by “an event occurring on the video game console.” Whether purchasing a PlayStation game, entering gift card information, or joining a multiplayer match, the patent’s diagrams indicate that users may only need to tap their phone against the controller to complete the relevant operation.
For many players, using a PlayStation controller to repeatedly navigate payment menus or enter bank card information one character at a time has always been a headache. If this feature can be realized, users could more easily purchase games, DLC (downloadable content), and other items in the PlayStation Store, which would benefit both players and Sony.
In many cases, users are neither willing to repeatedly search for information on their phones nor to pull out their wallets to find bank card numbers and then enter them one by one through the controller. These cumbersome operations not only affect the experience but may also cause users to lose patience during payment and ultimately abandon the purchase. Entering payment information or sign-in credentials through an on-screen keyboard or another device can also slow things down and even lead to input errors.
However, the potential uses of this feature may go far beyond tap-to-pay. According to the patent diagrams, users may even be able to sign in to their PlayStation accounts directly by tapping their phone against the controller.
Whether signing back in on their own console or temporarily using their personal account on a friend’s game console, this method can make the sign-in process simpler and is more convenient and personalized than playing as a temporary guest.
Although Sony has previously offered passkey sign-in, which simplified the account verification process for some users, tapping a phone against the controller to complete sign-in could clearly reduce the number of steps even further.
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