Tap to pay is a modern convenience that many have grown accustomed to. Simply tap a card or a smartphone on a compatible reader, and purchases are conducted in a way that's simple and doesn't require anyone to punch in or enter information. According to a new patent titled "Video Game Controller-Driven Information Transfer," Sony could be bringing tap-to-pay technology to the PlayStation 6 and its next-gen controller.
As spotted by Dexerto, the system would include cards and smartphones, with gamers or users bringing their payment method close to the controller for NFC and Bluetooth communication. Although consoles like the PS5 support payment methods being stored on the system for digital purchases, entering card details for the first time or whenever there's a change has always been viewed as cumbersome when using a controller.
Popular Now: Redditor buys an RTX 5070 Ti for $1,099 from Walmart, receives four graphics cards insteadInterestingly, in addition to calling out credit cards as one use case for this tap-to-pay system, it also mentions gift cards. This would be a welcome addition, as many PlayStation gamers currently use gift cards for their digital purchases, a process, like with credit cards, that currently requires using a controller to manually type or select each character or number for activation.
The patent outlines that the controller would act as the NFC interface, with the console handling payment details and verification. The technology could also be paired with a smartphone for signing into a new console, like, say, a friend who comes over for some same-room multiplayer and wants to sign in with their account. Although it doesn't mention a new controller or a specific console, this could be the latest in a growing number of patents that seem focused on bringing brand-new features to the PlayStation 6.
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Recently we've seen Sony patents about using AI to help consoles automatically fix themselves, one for a new type of cooling system, and another controller-related one about buttons that dynamically alter their physical properties based on gameplay.
