Sony's 2019 decision to lock digital PlayStation game sales to its own storefront is on track to cost the company $7.85 million, and that's just the U.S. tab. A California judge granted preliminary approval for a settlement in Caccuri v. Sony Interactive Entertainment, a class-action lawsuit alleging Sony violated antitrust law by blocking third-party retailers like GameStop and Best Buy from selling digital game download codes. The case claims Sony "unlawfully eliminated competition and monopolized the market for Sony digital games," leading to higher prices for consumers.
Sony denies wrongdoing. No court has ruled the company broke any law. The settlement covers digital game purchases made through the PlayStation Store between April 1, 2019, and December 31, 2023, specifically titles that were once available as physical voucher codes at retail. More than 100 games qualify, including The Last of Us, God of War Collection, Star Wars Battlefront, and Killzone Shadow Fall.
Compensation won't arrive as a check. Eligible users with active PSN accounts will automatically receive credits with cash value deposited into their accounts, per the settlement filing dated April 8, 2026.
Those who deactivated their accounts can still claim by contacting the settlement administrators.
This isn't Sony's first attempt to settle. U.S.
District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin rejected an earlier version of the $7.8 million deal in July 2025 over concerns about payout distribution. The revised agreement cleared preliminary approval, but the final decision comes at an October 15, 2026, fairness hearing.
Users have until July 2, 2026, to opt out or file objections. While the U.S. settlement moves forward, a much larger threat looms in the UK. A separate lawsuit valued at $2.7 billion is underway at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London, brought on behalf of approximately 12 million PlayStation users. That case accuses Sony of abusing its market position by forcing digital game purchases exclusively through its own store without retail competition. The Saveri Law Firm, which announced the preliminary approval on April 29, 2026, estimated that over 4.4 million U.S. users may be eligible for the settlement.
