PlayStation Store Lawsuit Settled, but Your Payout is Probably Minimal

If you have purchased digital video games from the PS store over the last couple of years, then chances are that you will be considered a member of a class action lawsuit settlement that has recently reached its conclusion. The settlement sounds impressive at first glance, but don’t expect to walk away with much.

The settlement applies to all digital purchases made during the period from April 1, 2019, to December 31, 2023. It specifically applies to games that were once sold through game-specific vouchers. These were the codes you used to see in retail stores, where you’d pick up a card with a game’s artwork and redeem it online for a digital copy.

A class-action settlement has been reached over PlayStation Store digital game pricing linked to older voucher systems.

Between the aforementioned years, vouchers didn’t exactly offer good value. You were often paying full price, usually around $60, even if the game had been out for years and was cheaper elsewhere. This pricing strategy contributed greatly to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit filed against Sony Interactive Entertainment in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California alleged that the corporation restrained competition and rigged its pricing policy to raise digital prices beyond their natural levels. The corporation rejected all such allegations, saying that there was nothing wrong with its pricing policies. Although the court did not find Sony guilty of anything illegal, both parties still decided to make peace.

The total amount payable under the agreement is about $7.85 million. While it sounds like a nice sum to receive, once it is distributed among all eligible claimants, you'll probably not get too much out of it – it is going to amount to only a couple of dollars, maybe less.

It may also happen that you won't receive real money at all, but PlayStation Network Credit instead.

In some ways, this compensation looks more like a vicious circle than an actual settlement. The game must have been available as a voucher before April 2019, had at least 200 voucher redemptions, and experienced a slight price increase after that date. It’s a narrow set of criteria, but it still includes a range of well-known titles.

Games like Infamous Second Son, The Last of Us Remastered, Infamous First Light, The Order: 1886, Bloodborne Complete Edition, Ratchet and Clank, God of War II Remastered, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection, and LittleBigPlanet 3 are all part of the list. If you bought any of these digitally during the timeframe, you may be included.

Even with those recognizable titles, the outcome doesn’t really shift much for you as a buyer. The payout is minimal, and the system that underlies the store has remained the same. The debate on PlayStation Store pricing continues.

There are times when the digital price doesn’t match the physical price. This is not surprising, since some games are sold at much higher prices online than in physical stores. An example of such a game is Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Volume 1. This game has been priced at $42 online but only $20 in physical stores.

The PlayStation Store's pricing strategy remains a mystery.

In addition, there is a new focus on how transactions are carried out. Certain discounts seem to be personalized, meaning you may have different discounts from other people. For example, you may enter the store expecting to find a discount and come up empty, while another person gets it at the same moment.

It introduces a new variable to the pricing process. The issue does not concern only the cost of the games, but also who has access to certain discounts. The platform is experimenting with personalized pricing strategies, which will make things complicated for users. In terms of their experience, it means that they may not receive the same discounts as others, but there would be no rational explanation for this difference.

Nevertheless, the settlement does not solve any broader issues. It resolves a specific case regarding the voucher pricing policy, but it will have no effect on the current PlayStation Store pricing and sales policy. The total compensation ($7.85 million) is rather modest given the company's size.

Ultimately, if you qualify for compensation, you will obtain a minor advantage, but nothing more. The key message is that digital markets are also developing. Prices may differ, sales may target particular customers, and the whole system will obviously be modified to generate greater profits.