# Sony Patents Controller-Based Payment System

September 27, 2026 at 12:48 PM

> Sony's new patent allows players to make purchases and join games by tapping credit cards or smartphones directly onto their controllers.

[Sony](<https://hardwarebrief.com/entity/sony-q41187>) has filed a patent for a controller-driven payment system titled **Video Game Controller-Driven Information Transfer**. Filed in March 2025 and published in September 2026, the technology allows players to tap credit cards or smartphones against a controller.

The controller acts as a bridge using [NFC](<https://hardwarebrief.com/entity/near-field-communication-q273353>) or [Bluetooth](<https://hardwarebrief.com/entity/bluetooth-q39531>) to transfer payment details to the console. Features include displaying gift card balances on-screen and a tap-to-connect method for transferring player IDs or joining guest multiplayer gaming sessions.

This system streamlines purchases for games, currency, and add-ons, particularly for buying full titles after demos at events. It offers a new physical transaction method after Sony stopped selling physical [PS Store](<https://hardwarebrief.com/entity/playstation-store-q1052025>) gift cards in many global regions lately.


[#Sony](<https://hardwarebrief.com/hashtag/Sony>) [#PlayStation](<https://hardwarebrief.com/hashtag/PlayStation>) [#GamingTech](<https://hardwarebrief.com/hashtag/GamingTech>) #Patent #NFC

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