Sony is finally sharing details about the highly anticipated PlayStation 5, but the latest bit of news comes from a recently disclosed patent rather than the company itself.

The details are complicated, but the concept is relatively straightforward. The patent would insert a biometric sensor into the body of the standard PS5 controller. The sensor would then allow the system to register and authenticate individual users, with a limited number of biometric profiles stored on the device.

The patent doesn’t specify what type of biometric sensor would be used in the controller, though a fingerprint scanner seems like the most convenient (and most likely) option. However, other forms of biometric authentication could ultimately work just as well.

Biometric authentication could increase the utility of the PS5 controller in a number of different ways. The patent briefly mentions parental controls, which suggests that it could serve as an age gate to prevent children from playing violent video games designed for adults, although it seems unlikely that Sony would go through so much trouble for such a limited use case.

The company’s flagship gaming console is a fully connected IoT device. Integrating a biometric component into the controller – if Sony actually puts this concept into production – would be a logical way to reap the many benefits of secure biometric authentication, especially for a company that handles millions of online gaming accounts and transactions through the PlayStation Network. Biometrics could also be used to monitor and discourage unhealthy gaming habits or toxic behavior in online games.

Whatever the case, Sony seems to be trying to stay ahead of the curve with the use of biometric tech in gaming. It makes for a welcome contrast with other parts of its business, where Sony was of the last companies to introduce biometric features on its smartphones.

Source: Segment Next

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(Originally posted on FindBiometrics)