Become a TechRadar Insider
- Sony is paying out almost $8 million to PlayStation gamers in the US
- It's part of a settlement over its digital games sales from April 2019 until the end of 2023
- You should get a payout automatically, unless your PSN account has been closed
Sony is paying out a share of almost $8 million to PlayStation owners in the US as part of a settlement it has reached in a class action lawsuit in California regarding its digital games sales practices. Getting your payout should be easy, but don’t expect much to hit your bank account.
The lawsuit alleged that Sony violated US federal antitrust law and some state laws when it “unlawfully eliminated competition and monopolized the market for Sony digital games” by limiting third-party retailers' ability to sell PlayStation game vouchers — meaning they could only buy digital games on Sony’s own digital store.
The suit was originally settled back in 2024, but some hitches in the approval process have meant a new agreement has only recently been reached. In this deal, Sony doesn’t admit any wrongdoing, but it does agree to provide claimants a share of $7,850,000.
Assuming it passes through the fairness hearing in October this year, you should get your payout sometime after then.
Below you can find out if you’re eligible, how to make a claim if your PSN account has been closed, and how to opt out of the settlement if you want to.
How much will my payout be?
A payout of nearly $8 million seems big, but after legal fees are taken out and it’s spread across every eligible PlayStation customer, you might be lucky to get a couple of bucks. It’s better than nothing, but this isn’t your big payday, unfortunately.
The fine should ideally be more of a deterrent to Sony from taking similar actions in the future, though $8 million doesn’t seem like even the hardest slap on the wrist, considering PlayStation's operating profits were $2.9 billion for last year.
How do I find out if I’m eligible and get my payout?
You’re eligible for a settlement payout if you bought any of the covered digital games from the PlayStation Network between April 1, 2019, and December 31, 2023. You can find the full official list here, but it includes games like Dragon Quest Builders, NieR: Automata, FIFA 17, Star Wars Battlefront, The Last Of Us Remastered, and plenty more — so it’s probably quite likely you bought at least one title from this selection.
If you have, then you should already be included in the settlement automatically. When Sony eventually pays up, you’ll get your share of the settlement deposited into the payment account linked to your PSN account.
The difficult part will be if you’ve closed your PSN account or don’t have access to it for some other reason. You’ll instead need to find proof you’ve purchased one of these games manually and then contact the PSN settlement team. You can call them at (877) 777-9145, email using info@PSNDigitalGamesSettlement.com, or send a letter (with your proof of purchase and your current address) to PSN Digital Game Settlement, P.O. Box 17304, Milwaukee, WI 5321. The deadline for these manual approaches is August 27, 2026.
Why would I want to opt out, and how can I do it?
The two main reasons you may want to opt out of the settlement deal are if you have a moral objection to the outcome or if you plan to take Sony to court over the same issue yourself.
By taking the payout, you agree not to sue Sony in the future for this matter.
If you decide you want to opt out, you must do so in writing by July 2, 2026, with full details on that outlined in point 11 on the official notice of class action settlement.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.
➡️ Read our full guide to the best gaming consoles
1. Best overall:
PlayStation 5 Slim
2. Best budget:
Xbox Series S
3. Best handheld:
Nintendo Switch 2
4. Most powerful:
PlayStation 5 Pro