Sony Interactive Entertainment has agreed to a $7.85 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit alleging antitrust violations related to its PlayStation digital game market. The settlement aims to compensate consumers who purchased digital games through the PlayStation Store between April 1, 2019, and December 31, 2023.
The lawsuit, titled Caccuri v. Sony Interactive Entertainment, accuses Sony of monopolizing the digital game market, thereby increasing game prices and forcing consumers to purchase games exclusively from the PlayStation Store. This alleged anticompetitive conduct restricted sales on other marketplaces, leading to higher costs for PlayStation users.
Eligible individuals will receive their portion of the settlement as store credit in their PlayStation Network wallet, pending final court approval on October 15, 2026. Those who have deactivated their PlayStation Network accounts may still be eligible for cash payments if they provide qualifying purchase information to [email protected].
To qualify for the settlement, individuals must be living in the U.S. or its territories and have purchased an eligible digital game from the PlayStation Store within the specified timeframe. The lawsuit does not contend that the digital games themselves are defective.
Sony has denied all allegations of wrongdoing but has agreed to the settlement. A portion of the settlement funds will cover attorneys' fees, taxes, and administrative costs. The remaining amount will be distributed equally among eligible class members, though individual payment amounts have not yet been announced. Many eligible members are expected to receive a modest amount added to their PlayStation accounts.