Forward-looking: Imagine buying something from the PlayStation Store but instead of entering your financial details into a form, you swipe a card or phone over the controller. That's the vision Sony explained in a newly discovered patent, and it might be a feature of the PlayStation 6.
The patent, discovered by Dexerto, was published on September 17, 2026, but filed back in March 2025. Titled "Video Game Controller-Driven Information Transfer," it essentially describes a controller with NFC capabilities.
The diagrams illustrate how the system would work. One shows a user tapping their phone on the controller to pay for a game. Another shows a gift card being swiped across the device to add $25 to an account, which would mean no more painstakingly typing in long strings of text.
The actual process works by bringing a phone near the controller, with the phone detected through NFC, Bluetooth, or physical contact. The controller then emits a light, sound, or vibration as confirmation. The user receives a receipt, and the phone sends payment information to the controller, which forwards it to the console to handle a payment-related request.
There are other uses for the technology beyond making payments. The description mentions using the connection to transfer player IDs or allow guests to quickly join multiplayer games. There are also references to sending screenshots, recordings, and other content from the console to a phone through the controller.
Another section describes a game demo being shown at a store or gaming expo. The screen asks if the player wants to purchase the title, at which point they can put their phone next to the controller and have it added to their library, ready to download when they get home. As the description mentions the use of both NFC and Bluetooth, this process could involve the PlayStation mobile app.
We've seen plenty of patents that never become real features or products, so there's no guarantee this will ever make it beyond the concept stage. The controller in the images looks like a PS5 DualSense, but it's hard to imagine that Sony would start selling NFC-equipped controllers so close to the end of the console's life cycle.
Whether these controllers become part of the PlayStation 6 remains to be seen. It would be an interesting addition, but consumers would likely worry about security issues – and Sony's reputation is at an all-time low right now.
This is the second Sony patent we've heard about recently. The company filed another in 2025 that would allow AI to silently vibe-code fixes for your PlayStation and other devices.