Sony may be forced to refund millions of gamers following a high-profile class-action lawsuit. A U.S. court has now preliminarily approved a settlement worth nearly $8 million following allegations that the company abused its dominance in the digital market.
In a press release, the company states that:
"The Court has preliminarily approved the proposed settlement between the Plaintiffs and Defendant (the "Settlement"). The proposed Settlement will provide for the payment of $7,850,000 (the "Settlement Amount") to resolve Plaintiffs' and Settlement Class Members' claims against Defendant,"
It all began six years ago when Sony blocked several retailers from selling digital game codes for PlayStation. Critics argue that this forced players to purchase directly through PSN, which consequently faced no competition.
Players in the U.S. who purchased digital games between 2019 and 2023 may now be eligible for compensation, and eligible titles include The Last of Us, Resident Evil 4, FIFA, and NBA 2K. However, reports indicate that the refunds will not be substantial, amounting to no more than a few dollars or PSN credits.