You May Be Able to Receive Monetary Compensation As a Result of This Lawsuit Against the PlayStation Store.
If you prefer PlayStation and buy video games digitally, I have good news and bad news for you. The good news is that you may be entitled to some money thanks to Sony’s proposed settlement in the lawsuit. The bad news is that it probably won’t be much.
In a press release published Wednesday , the law firm Saveri announced a settlement in a class action lawsuit against Sony. The case, currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, concerns the PlayStation Store: plaintiffs allege that Sony acted as a monopolist in selling its digital games, leading to inflated prices for gamers on the PlayStation Store. At the core of the argument is Sony’s game vouchers program, which until 2019 allowed gamers to purchase digital copies of games from retail stores. The lawsuit alleges that retailers were able to sell games at lower prices than Sony’s digital store, but after the company discontinued game vouchers, gamers were left with the option of paying higher prices online. Sony, for its part, denies any wrongdoing in the case, and the court found Sony not liable on the charges.
Although Sony denies any wrongdoing, it appears the company is prepared to settle the dispute. As such, the court has “preliminarily approved”a settlement for $7,850,000 . If this settlement is approved at a subsequent hearing, that’s the amount Sony will pay to all affected customers to settle the lawsuit. If you’ve ever purchased digital games from the PlayStation Store, you may be eligible for a (small) portion of these millions.
How can I check if I’m eligible for compensation from PlayStation Store?
There are a few conditions that could exclude some buyers, but if you’re a fan of Sony games, I’d assume you have a good chance of qualifying for the discount. According to the lawsuit, anyone who purchased at least one digital game through the PlayStation Store between April 1, 2019, and December 31, 2023, is eligible for the discount. The game must have had a coupon previously available in stores, and at least 200 copies had to be sold using that coupon before April 2019. Finally, the price of the game must have increased by at least $0.50 after April 2019 compared to the price when the coupon was available. A full list of eligible games can be found here .
If this is confusing, here’s some relief: if you meet the criteria, you don’t actually need to do anything. The lawsuit states that unless you take action to disqualify yourself by July 2, 2026, you will be considered part of the class of plaintiffs participating in the settlement. You can disqualify yourself from the settlement if you wish, but you must do so by July 2. You will lose your payout, but you retain the right to sue Sony if you choose. You can also formally object to the settlement, which gives you the right to appear in person at Farines’ hearing.
How much will you get in a PlayStation Store dispute settlement?
We don’t know exactly how many people will be included in the class of plaintiffs participating in the settlement, so it’s difficult to predict the size of the payout. However, since many gamers likely purchased digital versions of the games on the list on the dates specified, this group is likely quite large—especially considering that they don’t need to do anything (or even know about the lawsuit) to receive a payout.
Sammy Barker of Push Square, based on all currently available data, gives a rather unimpressive estimate: you’ll likely receive between $1 and $3 for each purchase. If you’ve purchased a lot of digital games on your PS4 or PS5, you could receive a decent return, but if you’ve only purchased a few games, don’t expect your share to be large.