If you’re a PlayStation customer who lives in the US, you may be eligible to claim part of an upcoming $7.85 million settlement payout. The case centers on a claim that Sony “unlawfully eliminated competition and monopolized the market for [its] digital games” by no longer selling game-specific vouchers that let PlayStation owners buy digital games from different online shops.
The class-action lawsuit Caccuri, et al. v. Sony Interactive Entertainment, LLC (PDF) alleged that Sony’s actions caused “consumers to pay more for certain digital games than they otherwise would have paid on the PlayStation Store.” Some of these games include PlayStation exclusive titles, such as The Last of Us, as well as third-party games like Mass Effect Trilogy and Resident Evil 4.
Sony denied that it engaged in any wrongdoing or that settlement class members were damaged by its actions, and the court has not decided if the company violated any laws. Despite this, the court has preliminarily approved the $7.85 million settlement payment.
The settlement website is live now, but the settlement payout is still subject to the court’s final approval hearing. The hearing is scheduled to take place Oct. 15, and it’s meant to confirm the settlement sum, allocate up to 25% of the funds for attorneys’ fees and create a plan to distribute the rest of the money to eligible class members.
If you fit all of the criteria to be part of the Sony PlayStation game-voucher settlement, you’re automatically a class member in this lawsuit and will be able to collect a portion of the settlement money — added directly to your PlayStation Network account wallet — sometime after the final approval hearing.
Gamers who have deactivated their PlayStation Network accounts can apply for the settlement payment by sending qualifying purchase information to the email address info@PSNDigitalGamesSettlement.com. Customers with deactivated accounts will receive cash payments instead of PSN account accreditation.
You can opt out of the settlement if you’d like to retain your right to sue Sony separately in regard to its game-voucher sales practices. If you don’t send a written request to the court opting out of or objecting to the settlement by July 2, you will remain part of the settlement class.
Who can be part of the Sony PlayStation settlement?
Not every PlayStation owner is automatically eligible. The money is reserved for those who purchased a digital game through the PlayStation Store during a period after Sony ceased its sales of game-specific vouchers for alternative online storefronts.
In order to join, you must meet all of the following qualifications:
- Be a living, individual human being in the US or its territories.
- Have purchased one of the eligible digital games (PDF) through the PlayStation Store between the period of April 1, 2019 and Dec. 31, 2023.
Affected individuals are automatically part of the settlement class and will receive their compensation through their PlayStation Network account wallet, subject to approval at the final hearing, the date and time of which could change. Any updates will be posted to the settlement website.
How much will the Sony PlayStation settlement pay?
It’s unclear how much each settlement class member will receive, though we know most affected parties will automatically receive compensation in the form of PlayStation account funds.
Up to a quarter of the $7.85 million settlement will be used to pay attorneys’ fees, taxes and other administrative costs. The remaining settlement money will be administered equally to every settlement class member.
