Sony has seen its fair share of legal proceedings over the years, and PlayStation users in the United States might remember a long-running legal battle against Sony that started way back in 2019. The original class action lawsuit stemmed from Sony allegedly monopolising the market for digital purchases of games on the PlayStation Network.
The legal battle has been going on for years now, but according to a recent preliminary settlement, qualifying PlayStation users in the United States will finally officially be able to claim millions of dollars in compensation directly through their PSN accounts (via Push Square).
New court fillings reveal that Sony has officially agreed to a $7.85 million settlement in a U.S. class-action lawsuit that accused the company of monopolizing digital PlayStation game sales. The case stems from Sony’s 2019 decision to stop allowing third-party retailers to sell digital download codes, effectively making the PlayStation Store the only place to purchase digital games for the platform.
Plaintiffs argued that this move reduced competition and enabled Sony to keep prices artificially high—a clear violation of antitrust laws. However, while Sony has denied any wrongdoing, they’ve chosen to settle rather than continue litigation, largely because $7m is a drop in the bucket to the juggernaut media corporation.
The proposed settlement, which has received preliminary court approval, could impact millions of US-based PlayStation users who purchased digital games between April 2019 and December 2023. Instead of cash payments, eligible consumers are expected to receive PlayStation Network store credits, with the exact amount depending on their purchase history.
The settlement will likely result in relatively small payouts for most gamers, however, with an estimated $1–3 in compensation per qualifying purchase. You may be eligible for PSN credit if you fit the following criteria:
- Made a digital purchase on the PS Store between April 1, 2019 and December 31, 2023.
- The purchased game was previously sold with a voucher in retail and was “sold at scale,” with a minimum of 200 units purchased prior to April 2019
- The game’s price increased after vouchers were eliminated.
Notably, earlier versions of this same settlement were rejected by a judge, partly due to concerns over the use of store credits rather than direct compensation, but the revised agreement aims to address those issues. The settlement is not yet final, and a future court hearing set for October will determine whether it receives full approval and how payouts are ultimately distributed.
While this recent preliminary settlement can be seen as a small victory for PlayStation gamers, the total amount pales in comparison to what Sony likely profited from with the anti-trust behavior, and it’s unlikely to have a significant impact on the company’s practices in the future.
- Brand
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Sony
- Original Release Date
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November 19, 2020
- Original MSRP (USD)
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$399.99 (Digital Only), $499.99 (Disc Drive)
- Weight
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Digital Edition now weighs 3.4 kg & base version weighs 3.9 kg