Sony Patents Mobile Payments That Use the DualSense as a Bridge to the Console

Sony is making moves on the patent front again, and this time it's targeting something almost all of us have suffered through at some point: paying in the console store. As reported by Vandal, Sony Interactive Entertainment has filed a system in which the PlayStation controller would act as an intermediary between a nearby device, such as your phone, and the console itself. The idea is to let you complete a digital purchase without typing in your card details by hand.

It might sound like a minor detail, but it isn't. Anyone who has tried to enter sixteen digits, an expiration date and a security code using an on-screen keyboard and a thumbstick knows it's one of the clunkiest experiences in the console ecosystem. If Sony manages to turn that chore into something as simple as holding your phone near the controller, it changes the friction of every purchase: games, expansions, season passes and microtransactions. And that, for better or worse, directly affects how we spend money.

What You Need to Know

• The patent belongs to Sony Interactive Entertainment and describes using the controller as part of the payment process on the console.
• It was filed in March 2025 and made public on September 17, according to Vandal.
• The controller would detect a compatible device within a certain distance, send it a signal and receive the data needed for the payment.
• That information would then travel from the controller to the console, so you wouldn't have to enter your card manually.
• As with any patent, it doesn't guarantee the feature will ever make it into a commercial product.

How It Would Work and Who It Affects

The mechanism described in the patent is fairly straightforward. When the console asks for a payment method, the controller steps in: it detects a compatible device within a set range and sends out a signal. The phone responds and transmits the data required to complete the transaction. Finally, the controller acts as a bridge and hands that information over to the console. In theory, the user would just need to bring their phone close and confirm.

The source doesn't specify which technology would be used for that communication or what security measures would accompany the process, so it's best not to jump to conclusions. What is clear is the approach: make use of something you already have in your hands, the controller, and something you already have in your pocket, your phone, which in many cases already stores your payment methods. It's very similar to the logic we've grown used to with contactless payments in physical stores, brought into the living room.

Who Would Be Most Affected

Casual players would be the big winners in terms of convenience. But it's also worth thinking about people who share a console at home, creators who buy content to cover launches on day one, and competitive players who frequently pick up passes or seasonal content. For all of them, fewer steps means less wasted time, but also less of a pause to think twice about a purchase.

Our Take

Here at Underworld Lordz, we see the idea with a mix of interest and caution. There's no denying that paying on console is still awkward, and any solution that gets rid of the on-screen keyboard is welcome. For a content creator who needs a game downloaded minutes after launch, or for a team that has to set up accounts and content before a tournament, removing friction means saving time. And if the process also avoids storing your card directly on the console, it could even be a win for privacy.

That said, we're not naive. The big platforms have spent years working to make spending easier and easier, and that doesn't always work in the user's favor. In competitive games, where in-game stores, passes and cosmetics are everywhere, making purchases as quick as tapping your phone could drive up impulse spending, especially among younger players. If this feature ever arrives, we hope it comes with clear confirmations, solid parental controls and a straightforward way to turn it off.

And there's one last important point: this is a patent, not an announcement. Sony, like every major company, files plenty of ideas that never see the light of day. We think it's an interesting proposal with real practical sense, but until there's an actual implementation, with technical and security details on the table, we're taking it for what it is: a sign of where the company is looking.

What Do You Think?

Would paying by holding your phone near the controller save you time, or are you worried that buying stuff could become too easy? For those of us who play competitively and spend on passes and seasonal content, the line between convenience and temptation is very thin. Drop by the team chat or our Discord and let us know: would you turn this feature on for your PlayStation, or would you rather keep paying the old-fashioned way?