A district court last month gave preliminary approval to a proposed class action settlement between Sony PlayStation and millions of its users, signaling a possible end to a years-long legal battle.
The team representing the plaintiffs in the case, Savery Law Firm, announced on April 29 that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has given preliminary approval to a proposed class action settlement of $7.85 million.
The next hearing to finalize the agreement is scheduled for October 15, 2026. Here’s what you need to know about the case.
years long legal battle
In 2023, a class action lawsuit was filed against Sony PlayStation over its decision four years earlier to stop selling digital download cards, known as game-specific vouchers, through third-party sellers such as Amazon, GameStop, and Walmart. Instead, PlayStation games had to be purchased exclusively through the PlayStation Store.
The plaintiffs argued that without market competition, gamers were forced to pay higher prices, allowing Sony to obtain a monopoly on sales of its digital PlayStation games. Sony has denied the allegations.
The agreement went through several amendments until 2024.
In July 2025, a judge rejected a similar proposed settlement, arguing that it lacked some details, such as a comprehensive description of how settlement funds would be distributed, according to a court document.
Sony and the plaintiffs ultimately reached a final version in February 2026.
Throughout the legal battle, Sony has maintained that its practices did not violate antitrust laws. As Reuters previously reported, the company said it wanted to settle “to avoid further expense and distraction from continued litigation.”
Who is eligible for compensation?
Various eligibility criteria were detailed in court documents, including:
- This deal is open only to US residents.
- Game-specific vouchers purchased between April 1, 2019, and December 31, 2023, had to be made available through third parties before April 1, 2019.
- At least 200 vouchers for a game must be sold before April 1, 2019.
- The price of games increased by an average of 50 cents after vouchers were no longer available through third parties.
Many top titles are eligible, like “Madden NFL 17,” “Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China,” and “The Last of Us Remastered.” The full list of eligible games is currently available on the PlayStation Network Digital Games Settlement website.
More than 4.4 million people automatically joined the lawsuit, according to court documents. Anyone who does not wish to be included may voluntarily exclude themselves by filing a written request with the court and submitting it to Savery Law Firm by July 2, 2026.
What can class members expect?
Those who remain part of the lawsuit can expect the compensation to be deposited into their PlayStation Store digital wallet. People who are no longer active on PlayStation Network will be able to receive their payment in the mail.
It’s not clear how much each person will get. Up to 25% of the $7.85 million settlement will go to attorneys’ fees. According to the official website of the settlement, additional funds will be awarded to those who led the lawsuit.
The remaining settlement amount will be distributed to each class member based on the qualifying titles purchased by them.
However, the April decision was just the first step. The final hearing on the case is scheduled for October 15, 2026.
No action is required for those who wish to be part of the agreement. However, individuals can visit the official PSN Digital Games Settlement website for the latest information on the final hearing.