Tech: Latest: What to Know About Sony’s $7.85 Million PlayStation Settlement
Sony, owner of the PlayStation brand, has been accused of antitrust practices. The lawsuit was originally settled in 2024 but was rejected twice during the approval process. Last week, a judge approved a preliminary reopening of the settlement. The suit, brought before the San Francisco division of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, accuses the company of allegedly limiting third-party retailers from selling PlayStation titles via “game-specific vouchers.” That means preventing customers from buying games elsewhere and forcing them to make digital purchases solely on Sony’s PlayStation Network, where it controls prices without worrying about competitors. The settlement means the company won’t admit to any wrongdoing, but it will have to pay nearly $8 million to affected players. Unfortunately, that might take quite a while. Here's what to know about the settlement and whether you'll be able to get any money out of it. (The full details are at the PlayStation Digital Games Settlement website.) If you bought a digital game on PlayStation Network between April 1, 2019, and December 31, 2023, then yes, you are likely eligible for a cut of the settlement. You can find a full list here of games that are eligible for a settlement payout. If you've played anything around that time and bought it from the PSN store, chances are you'll have a shot at being included. Games include The Last of Us, Resident Evil 4, and lots of sports games, such as several generations of Madden, NBA 2K, and FIFA Thankfully, you won’t have to do very much. When the settlement finally goes through, the funds will be deposited into the payment accounts linked to all of the eligible PSN profiles.
Source: Wired