Credit: Sony
The Federal District Court for the Northern District of California has issued a preliminary ruling awarding $7.8 million in damages to PlayStation Network users in a 2023 class action lawsuit accusing Sony of monopolizing third-party developers’ access to the platform. All U.S. PSN users who purchased certain games during a specific period will receive a portion of the compensation.
US residents who purchased digital games between April 2019 and the end of 2023 are eligible for compensation. The main requirement is that the game in question previously had a retail code, and its average price on the PS Store increased by at least 0.50 cents after the restrictions were introduced.
Despite the impressive total amount of the claim, the individual compensation will be modest. Due to the large number of potential participants and the deduction of legal costs, users will likely receive between $1 and $3 per purchase. The funds will be deposited directly into their PS Store wallet.
Although the court granted preliminary approval in April 2026, the final hearing is scheduled for October 15, 2026. Only after the judge has finally approved the settlement will the tech giant begin distributing compensation among the affected players.