Passkeys – Introducing a More Secure, More Convenient Way to Play
Passkey commenced rolling out earlier this month, on February 13 – with Australia and New Zealand first in line to be able to activate a passkey for a password-free sign-in experience. With the rollout now Global, Ryan King, Senior Director, Product Management, Platform Experience, shares his thoughts on the introduction of the new more secure way to play.
Announcing the global release of passkeys as an alternative option to passwords to enhance the security of our player community
Author: Ryan King, Senior Director, Product Management, Platform Experience
PlayStation’s community is made up of incredible players who are instrumental to the success of Sony Interactive Entertainment. Each and every player’s account, and associated identity on PlayStation, is a central and core aspect that unlocks access to all the amazing experiences PlayStation has to offer. Purchasing and playing games, accessing media and services, connecting with friends, competitive match-making, personalised experiences, and well-earned gaming trophies, all rely on a player’s identity.
In recognising how valuable that identity is for each individual, PlayStation consistently improved the ways that players can enrich that identity to ensure that PlayStation continues to be the ‘Best Place to Play.’
At the same time, PlayStation has also continuously introduced enhanced ways to protect and safeguard those player identities, including customer-facing security features like 2-step verification, as well as layers of protective systems and services that silently work behind the scenes.
A Balance of Convenience & Security
With each new feature introduction, PlayStation is increasingly mindful of the balance to consider between ease of use, quickly accessing games and entertainment experiences, and minimising potential friction that can result from additional security measures.
Historically, a challenge for Sony Interactive and the tech and gaming industry as a whole, is that the use of passwords has been a limitation both in how well an identity can be protected and how quickly and easily someone can access experiences if a password is forgotten, compromised, or simply just difficult to enter on a given device.
Facing the challenge of passwords, but keeping that balance of elevated convenience and increased security in mind, PlayStation is proud to announce the global release of passkeys as an alternative option to passwords. We believe passkeys are the next step in offering our community a more convenient and more secure way to sign in and access all of the great experiences PlayStation has to offer.
A New Age of Security
Technology evolves over time and along with that comes a need for evolving standards and efforts for protecting users. Passkeys are one such advancement for us, aimed at keeping our player community safe and secure.
At Sony Interactive Entertainment, we are constantly mindful of the wide and diverse sets of people within our community and the need for flexible security and safety measures to fit different ways of play. From ensuring our player community has a safe, secure, and welcoming online experience, to improving and evolving our products and services on PlayStation, the integration of passkey is the latest example of how we continue to safeguard our players while maintaining the best and most seamless user gaming experience, so you can do less worrying, and more gaming.
What are Passkeys?
Passkeys are digital credentials that are automatically generated using cryptography. This modern alternative to passwords gives users the ability to log in to platforms and devices with a unique passkey for each online service. It allows you to access your account without a password. Instead, you sign in through your mobile device or computer using the same convenient device screen unlocking method, like a fingerprint, face scan, or PIN.
Watch the full video breakdown here.
Strong and phishing-resistant, passkeys adhere to Fast Identity Online (FIDO) standards which were established by the FIDO Alliance, an alliance of which Sony Group is proudly part of. The FIDO Alliance is a global authentication standards organisation that strives to reduce the world’s reliance on passwords by promoting the development, use of, and compliance with cutting-edge standards for authentication across an inclusive library of devices and platforms.
This standard is supported by major platforms and devices from leading tech companies. As part of the FIDO Alliance, PlayStation has worked with members of these major companies and institutions to design a truly improved sign-in experience.
Players can get started using passkeys now by setting it up on your account. As an additional benefit, if you use other Sony services with the same account, passkeys will work with those services as well.
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