A federal judge in the Northern District of California has preliminarily approved a class action settlement with Sony Interactive Entertainment over PlayStation Store digital game purchases, in a case accusing the company of monopolizing the digital games market and driving up prices. [1, 2, 3]
The proposed deal is valued at about $7.8 million, with one report putting it at $7.85 million. It would compensate eligible accounts with cash-value PlayStation Network credits or store credit. [1, 2, 3]
The suit, Caccuri, et al. v. Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, says Sony eliminated competition through the PlayStation Store and caused some consumers to pay more for digital games than they otherwise would have. A preliminary settlement filing said the agreement was “fair, reasonable, and adequate to the Settlement Class.” [1, 2, 3]
Eligible purchases cover digital games bought through the PlayStation Store between April 1, 2019, and Dec. 31, 2023, for titles that had been available through game-specific vouchers or digital codes sold by third-party retailers. The settlement class includes U.S. consumers who made qualifying purchases through PSN during that period. [1, 2, 3]
A list of eligible titles includes games such as The Last of Us and NBA 2K18, and more than 100 titles are covered, according to the filings and reporting. [1, 3]
The settlement is not final. A Fairness Hearing is scheduled for Oct. 15, 2026, which will decide whether the court grants final approval. [2, 3]
