Enough of passwords: Sony PS4 and PlayStation 5 now support passkeys

Sony has added passkeys to the PlayStation Network. Users can now activate passkeys on the official PlayStation website and log in to their PlayStation account from any supported device without having to enter a password. Instead, a notification will be sent to a verified smartphone or PC during the login process, which can be used to unlock the login at the touch of a button.

If the smartphone used supports a fingerprint sensor or facial recognition, one of these must be enabled in order to prevent hackers from taking control of a smartphone and having direct access to all passkeys stored on it. As soon as a passkey is used for the first time, Sony deactivates the password previously used for the login so that the passkey is the only option for enabling a login process. This is intended to increase security, as attackers will no longer have access to an account if a password is leaked or cracked.

Passkeys can be synchronized between multiple devices in a similar way to passwords, such as via Apple's Keychain or 1Password. Activating the passkey only takes a few minutes - after logging in with a password and verifying the email address linked to the account, the passkey can be added with a button in the account settings. Sony recommends saving the passkey on a smartphone, as dedicated hardware keys can lead to compatibility problems.