conv.

All stories
TechActive today · day 3

Sony Patent Reveals NFC Tap-to-Pay PlayStation Controller

A newly surfaced Sony filing describes a controller that could take payment or account data via a tapped phone or credit card.

newest coverage 14h agosummary written 12h ago8 pieces2 likes & upvotes1 comments Hacker NewsGoogle NewsMastodonNewswires

What to know

  • The filing describes a PlayStation controller that could relay payment credentials from a nearby paired phone, or via NFC tap of a phone or credit card, to speed up digital purchases.
  • IGN's reading of the patent text, titled "video game controller-driven information transfer," ties the concept to a possible future PlayStation 6 and to easier account transfer between consoles.
  • Sony has not confirmed any product plans; outlets stress that a patent application is not a guarantee of a shipping feature.
  • The filing follows other 2026 Sony patents expanding controller functions, including a June login-via-phone patent and a March smartphone-mount input patent.

Sony Interactive Entertainment Patent filerPatentlyze Patent-tracking site

Sony Patent Reveals NFC Tap-to-Pay PlayStation Controller
IGN

How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 4 pieces in one hour at Yesterday, 9 AM; 8 pieces over 3 days (6 articles · 2 posts) Sep 21, 5 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Google News 1Sep 21, 6 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 8 AM — quietSep 21, 9 AM — quietSep 21, 10 AM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Google News 2Sep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 12 PM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 2 PM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Hacker News 1Sep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — 4 pieces · 3 articles · 1 post — Google News 2, Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Yesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quiet 123
Sep 22yesterdaynow · 12:59 AM ET
  1. 3

    IGN reveals the patent covers NFC tap payments, not just Bluetooth relay

    IGN reports the filing, titled "video game controller-driven information transfer," gives the controller NFC capability so a phone or credit card could be tapped directly to it for payment or to import a PlayStation account, and links the concept to a future PlayStation 6.

    “facilitating and coordinating these operations by performing multiple operational steps using multiple devices often causes performance of the video game console to suffer and/or one or more operations of the video game console to fail…”
    — Sony patent filing
    1. 1 outlet Sony Patent Would Let You Tap Your Card or Phone on Your PlayStation Controller to Make a Payment

      first by IGN, 14h ago

  2. 2

    Coverage details how the phone-to-controller payment relay works

    A roundup explains the system would send payment data only at the moment of purchase rather than storing it on the controller, and ties the filing to Sony's reported push toward all-digital sales and to earlier 2026 patents giving the controller login and input roles.

    “Sending those details from a phone at the moment of purchase could mean fewer sensitive details sitting in a PlayStation Network account…”
    — pbxscience
  3. 1

    Gaming outlets surface Sony's payment-relay controller patent

    Insider Gaming and Niche Gamer report on a Sony filing describing a PlayStation controller that could retrieve payment details from a paired phone to speed up digital purchases.

    1. 2 outlets Sony patent could let PlayStation controllers retrieve payment details from your phone

      first by Niche Gamer, 2d ago · also Insider Gaming

      1 more headline
    2. 1 outlet Sony has patented a gamepad with a payment terminal

      first by wnhub.io, 14h ago