A federal judge in San Francisco has granted preliminary approval for a class action settlement involving Sony that totals $7.85 million. The lawsuit claims that between April 2019 and December 2023, the company engaged in practices that hindered competition in the digital games market through its PlayStation Store. Players who purchased digital games during this timeframe may receive store credit in their accounts.
The legal action, initiated in May 2021, argues that Sony's decision to eliminate "game-specific vouchers" sold by third-party retailers led to higher prices for digital games. The law firm handling the case has identified over 4.4 million eligible accounts, with a list of qualifying games that includes titles like The Last of Us and NBA 2K18.
A Fairness Hearing is scheduled for October 15, where the court will finalize its judgment and determine how to distribute the settlement funds. This case is distinct from another legal challenge in the UK, where Sony faces a potential payout of up to $2.7 billion over similar allegations of antitrust violations.