PlayStation, now payable with XRP?...Sony "groundless" denies

▲ PlayStation, XRP/AI generated image

Claims that PlayStation Network would adopt XRP as a payment method have spread, but the actual confirmed information appears to be far from it. Online, speculation circulated that PlayStation Network could integrate XRP payments as early as this quarter, but none of Sony Group, Ripple, or the XRPL Foundation have officially announced any related partnerships.

U.Today reported on May 24 (local time) that “the rumor of PlayStation integrating XRP payments does not align with the facts.” According to the report, Sony is pursuing a Web3 payment system, but it is choosing to build its own financial ecosystem rather than incorporating highly volatile external cryptocurrency assets into its payment network.

Speculation regarding XRP arose from a misinterpretation of Sony's blockchain activities. A Nihon Keizai report since December last year stated that Sony Bank is working on a project to launch its own regulated stablecoin pegged to the US dollar. This asset will be created through the BlockBloom division and is planned to be used for internal settlements, such as PS Store game payments, PSN subscriptions, and Crunchyroll content payments.

Sony's core goal is to reduce transaction costs. U.Today pointed out that Sony has a practical motive to free itself from the burden of large fees paid to Visa and Mastercard. For this reason, even if blockchain payments appear on PlayStation, it is highly likely to operate within an internal economic zone directly controlled by the platform operator, rather than a structure where external tokens can freely enter.

Rumors of cryptocurrency payments in the gaming industry are not limited to PlayStation. U.Today also reported that speculation about Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) appearing in Grand Theft Auto VI has long continued, but Rockstar Games has never provided information confirming cryptocurrency integration. Contrary to the expectations of the cryptocurrency community, major game companies are focused on maintaining their own payment flows and closed economic structures.

This report clarified that the PlayStation XRP integration rumor is not a confirmed business plan but rather an expectation that has spread online. At the center of Sony's payment strategy is a dollar-pegged stablecoin operating under platform control, not XRP.

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