Sony, owner of the PlayStation brand, has been accused of antitrust practices. The case was settled in 2024 but was rejected twice during the approval process. Last week, the judge adopted initial housing opening.
The lawsuit, filed before the San Francisco division of the US District Court for the Northern District of California, accuses the company of allegedly limiting third-party retailers from selling PlayStation titles through “special game vouchers.” That means keeping customers from buying games elsewhere and forcing them to make digital purchases only on Sony’s PlayStation Network, where it controls prices without worrying about competitors.
The settlement means the company was not accused of any wrongdoing, but will have to pay nearly $8 million to affected players. Unfortunately, that can take a long time.
Here’s what to know about the solution and whether you’ll be able to make money from it. (Full details are at PlayStation Digital Gaming Solutions website.)
Am I Eligible for Payment?
If you bought a digital game on the PlayStation Network between 1 April 2019 and 31 December 2023, then yes, you’re likely to be eligible for the discount.
What? Games Covered?
You can get a full list here of games that are eligible for premium payments.
If you’ve played anything during that time and purchased it from the PSN store, chances are you’ll have an opportunity to be included. Games are included Our End, Resident Evil 4and many sports games, such as several generations of Madden, NBA 2K, and FIFA
How Will I Be Paid?
Fortunately, you won’t need to do much. When the payment is completed, the funds will be deposited into the payment accounts linked to all eligible PSN profiles.
If you want to opt out of payments, or object to them altogether, you can do so by submitting them written request. That’s not necessary unless you have an ethical issue with the payment, or plan to sue Sony over the same issue later. Accepting payment now by default means you are giving up the right to sue Sony for this in the future.
What? If I Don’t Have My PSN Account Anymore?
If your PSN account is disabled or otherwise MIA, but you know you’ve purchased games that qualify for this payment, you still have options to get paid. You can call (877) 777-9145 or email (email protected). You can also send your relevant purchase details and current address to:
PSN Digital Game Shelter
PO Box 17304
Milwaukee, WI 53217
The last date to submit the check request is 27 August 2026.
How Much Money Will I Get?
Probably not many, unfortunately. That $7.85 million will be distributed to legal representatives who objected to the settlement, then spread evenly across potentially millions of people’s PSN accounts. It’s hard to say how much it will amount to, but it’s likely to be a few dollars at best.
I’ll Take What I Can Get. When Will That Money Come In?
The settlement hearing will not be held until the Fair Hearing, currently scheduled for October 15, 2026. Once that is completed, the funds may take weeks or months more to clear.
Class action cases are not very convenient for consumers most of the time. They certainly don’t tend to be on time. This residence was first arranged in December 2024, but two applications for approval had been rejected. The language in the settlement previously said payments would be distributed after April 1, 2025. As you can tell, the wait is still over.
