A recently discovered patent filed by Sony shows that the console manufacturer may be looking into ways for customers to pay using their credit cards with its controllers. Well, parents, consider this your heads-up on a potential nightmare if you don’t have things locked down or safely hidden away. According to a new patent, Sony could be working on a controller that supports tap-and-pay functionality for both chip-supported credit cards and phones. As spotted by Dexerto (via Eureka), The patent mentions the ability to scan information from a phone or other device but also receive data transmitted from a credit card or gift card to the controller for makng in-app purchases.
The workflow, as described in the patent document “Video game controller-driven information transfer”, is as follows: A user is logged into their console, and their respective accounts and the controller is connected to the console via wired, Bluetooth, or other wireless solution. Then payment information is transmitted or scanned from the credit/gift card or electronic device to the controller for in-app purchases or game credits, whereby the console confirms purchases via its GUI, which can also include remaining gift card balances
There’s no denying the convenience of simply holding a card or phone next to a controller to complete payment processing, and what could possibly go wrong with that? After all, how many folks have been held back from making a poor purchasing decision because they were too incapacitated to enter their credit card data (and you thought drunk dialing was a problem)? On the other hand, another warning to parents: what risk is there if junior has access to your phone and decides to load up on packs for their favorite game? On the plus side, with responsibility pushed to the side, it could be really convenient in the moment to either purchase a game or some newly added DLC just by tapping or having your phone handy. If anything, it’s a wonder that a certain Cupertino company, or Microsoft and Nintendo, haven’t already managed to offer this technology to gamers. However, let’s hope that Sony and whoever else begins rolling out these features have their end of security protocols worked out because it could go south real quick if they don’t.
Discussion (11 replies)
Join Discussion →You know what. No. Just let me scan a qr code with my phone and tap to pay there. I do not want this functionality that a consumer will pay for to make it more convenient to give you money. Microtransactions my ass.
Dear Sony, it's not that we can't figure out how to pay, it's that you're offering nothing we'd want to buy.
I think this is specifically targeting children. Just swipe your granny's credit card and go wild.
As if their controllers aren't already expensive enough. Don't need them shoehorning more useless tech into 'em, driving up the costs.
The scariest part is that if not them, someone else will and if not a controller then some other peripheral device.
Subdermal payment processor? Tap your fingers together twice to pay :D
Yeah, that's kinda gross. Nevermind trying to bring technology into game controllers to improve gameplay, lets make it easier for Sony to make money.
I mean I'm not immune to neat tech just cause... like I did order the free keyboards from Amex back in the day that had the CC reader integrated into them... because free keyboard why not... But this is a bit TOO predatory.
Well, it's already been possible on the phone for years now. Why not your game controller too?
Guy at work recently got hit for $300 on Roblox because his 5 year old held his phone up to his face while he was sleeping on the couch to unlock some payment there. Or at least that's the story, and it's good enough I believe him.
There's always a way around everything but I still won't use face id or fingerprint for anything. Too many cons for a pro I don't need. I also remember the story about when reportedly some cops or agents used the fingers of an unconscious gang member during a bust to unlock their phone. No reason someone else could do the same to anyone who was out of it enough as well.
Woooooooooooooooooooooooooow!!!!!!
Also if facial unlock was the only authentication point then that was doomed to fail. For something like payments you should have passwords+pins and/or fingerprint or whatever the f*ck. 2FA dat biznatch. Don't just leave it with something simple like facial recognition, sheesh.
Agreed. I only use fingerprint to make it easier to unlock my phone quickly, but even that method requires password or PIN backup every few uses. I'm using passwords and PINs everywhere else, and of course Authenticator app like whoa. Banking shiznit (if on phone and away from PC) needs both password and fingerprint.
I was never onboard with facial recognition. Right out the gate people were tricking cameras with pictures. At that point it was already game over.
Oh snaaaaaaap, daaaaaaaaaaaaaang!
Only reason I don't disable fingerprint usage on my phone is cuz the fingerprint reader f*cking sucks. I can barely get it to work, so good luck to someone else trying to use the finger of my unconscious body. Might be quicker to invent a machine that can read minds and then use that to find out my PIN and/or password.