Sony PlayStation Lawsuit Settlement Could Trigger Refunds for Millions

Sony has been dealing with significant legal troubles from PlayStation customers that have filed several suits against the company. The Japanese gaming giant has managed to end one of the suits, however, after having come to a settlement with the plaintiffs in a class action regarding prices being charged in the PlayStation Store.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, claims that the company was in violation of federal antitrust and state laws. It alleges that Sony “unlawfully eliminated competition and monopolized the market for Sony digital games, causing consumers to pay more for certain digital games than they otherwise would have paid on the PlayStation Store.”


This stems from the decision by Sony to no longer offer vouchers for digital game purchases at retailers, which it did up until 2019. Once these vouches were no longer on store shelves, the only place to purchase a digital game was directly through the PlayStation store. This is what the lawsuit is referring to when it alleges the company “eliminated competition.”

To settle the suit, Sony will be coughing up $7.85 million to be split up amongst the members of the class action. To be eligible for a payout, buyers must meet certain requirements. The first is having purchased a game from the PlayStation Store between April 1, 2019 and December 31, 2023. Second, the game must have been available as a voucher at a retailer and have sold at least 200 units. Lastly, the game’s price needs to have been at least $0.50 higher after the vouchers became unavailable.

There’s still a fairness hearing that’s going to take place in October of this year, and if it’s approved, eligible customers will receive funds credited directly to their PlayStation wallet. To access a complete list of games that are eligible a handy page has been posted here.