New controller features could be beneficial in Sony's digital-only age
Convenience is king in this day and age. Buying digital games already saves people a trip to the store. Now, a provisional patent that Sony filed in 2025, titled "Video game controller-driven information transfer," suggests it's removing another step in the process. Like the tap-friendly tech you find on smartphones and in grocery stores, Sony has introduced a potential PlayStation controller that lets you access your nearby phone to send payment details or account info to the console.
Since Sony announced that it'll be fully shifting to digital formats and discontinuing physical disc production come 2028, it seems fair to make the checkout process a little easier for PlayStation owners. Plus, as new patents from Sony and Microsoft come out, with the most divisive being Microsoft's plan to interrupt games with ads, it's another indicator that the next generation of PlayStation consoles is coming up. Whether this particular controller idea takes shape is what we'll have to wait and see, but it surely seems convenient.
According to the patent, the controller would detect nearby devices, like a phone; the latter would then receive a signal, send a confirmation to the controller and the controller would finally send it to the console.
