A $7.85 million settlement is moving toward final approval in a class-action lawsuit that accused Sony of forcing PlayStation customers to overpay for digital games by shutting down competition from outside retailers.
According to a report by CNET, the case centers on a lawsuit called Caccuri v. Sony Interactive Entertainment. The suit alleged that Sony eliminated the sale of game-specific vouchers that once allowed PlayStation owners to buy digital games from stores other than Sony's own PlayStation Store. By removing those vouchers, the lawsuit claimed, Sony funneled customers into a single storefront where prices were higher than they might have been with competition. The suit named specific games affected, including The Last of Us, Mass Effect Trilogy, and Resident Evil 4.
The lawsuit alleged Sony's actions violated antitrust law. Sony denied any wrongdoing and denied that customers were harmed. The court has not ruled that Sony broke any laws.
The settlement did not arrive quickly or easily. It was first reached in 2024 but was rejected twice during the court approval process. The most recent rejection came in July 2025, when the presiding judge said the proposed plan did not provide an estimated recovery or a range of potential recovery for class members. The approval process restarted in April 2026.
The court has now granted preliminary approval to the $7.85 million figure. The final approval hearing is scheduled for October 15. At that hearing, the court is expected to confirm the settlement amount, allocate up to 25 percent of the funds for attorneys' fees, and establish a plan for distributing the remainder to eligible class members.
Eligible US PlayStation customers who qualify as class members do not need to take any action to participate. Settlement funds will be added directly to their PlayStation Network account wallets sometime after the final approval hearing. Customers who have deactivated their PSN accounts will not receive wallet credits. Instead, they must submit qualifying purchase information to the address info@PSNDigitalGamesSettlement.com and will receive cash payments.
Not every PlayStation owner qualifies. The settlement is limited to US customers who meet specific criteria related to their digital game purchases during the relevant period covered by the lawsuit. The settlement website is currently live for those who want to check their eligibility.
Customers who want to preserve their right to sue Sony separately over its game-voucher practices can opt out of the settlement. A written opt-out or objection request must reach the court by July 2. Anyone who does not submit a request by that date will remain part of the settlement class and will be bound by the outcome of the October hearing.
The settlement website also provides information for those who wish to object to the settlement terms rather than opt out entirely, which is a separate option that keeps a person within the class while raising concerns for the court to consider at the October hearing.
