Playstation users who bought games within four-year period eligible for Sony $7.85 million settlement
Sony has agreed to pay out millions of dollars after a 'preliminary settlement agreement' was agreed over the purchase of digital games.
The Japanese gaming giant has agreed to pay out $7.85 million to PlayStation users after it was accused of monopolizing the market.
The suit was brought in front of the San Francisco division of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, accusing the company of limiting third-party retailers from selling PlayStation titles through 'game-specific vouchers'.
This means customers were allegedly forced to buy games from Sony's PlayStation Network, where it could control the price without concerns from competitors.
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The people who have bought the lawsuit allege Sony 'violated federal antitrust law and certain state laws'.
Sony has denied any wrongdoing and the court are yet to decide whether the tech giants have violated any laws.
While the agreement is a big milestone for the case, which has been rumbling on since 2024, the final verdict rests with a California judge who is expected to give the ultimate seal of approval in October.
Who is eligible for the PlayStation Store refund?
To be eligible for a refund from Sony, you must have bought one of more specific Sony video games from the PlayStation Store from April 1, 2019, to December 31, 2023.
This includes the following games:
- Destiny - The Collection,
- Demon’s Souls
- Persona 4 Golden
- Star Wars Battlefront
- Mass Effect Trilogy
- Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition
- Resident Evil 4
- NieR: Automata
- The Elder Scrolls Online - PS4
- No Man’s Sky
- God of War Collection
- inFamous Second Son
- Until Dawn
- The Last of Us Remastered
- Bloodborne: Complete Edition Bundle
- Ratchet & Clank
- God of War III Remastered
- Journey
You can find the full list by clicking here
How much money will I get from the PlayStation Store refund?
The lawsuit said that people eligible for refunds may receive it 'in the form of cash-value PlayStation Network (PSN) account credits'.
In terms of monetary value, it's likely not to be very much.
The $7.85 million has to be divided by the legal representatives who argued the case, then further split between potentially millions of people's PlayStation Network accounts. It's likely to be a few dollars, according to Wired.
You can opt out from the payout, or object to it completely by filling out a request here.
You would only do this if you have an issue with the payout, or plan to take Sony to court about the same issue later. The lawsuit warns that by accepting the payout now by default means you waive the right to sue Sony for this in the future. The case will now be decided in a hearing in October to see whether the settlement is approved.
Topics: PlayStation, Sony, Gaming
Thomas Bamford