Sony agreed to pay $7.85 million to settle a class-action antitrust lawsuit accusing it of restricting PlayStation digital game purchases to its own store, limiting price competition and eliminating third-party retailers. The settlement covers US consumers who bought PlayStation digital games between April 1, 2019 and December 31, 2023, with a final court approval hearing set for October 15, 2026 [1, 2, 3].
Separately, Sony is also facing a class-action lawsuit filed on June 18, 2026, by four California customers. They allege the PlayStation Store fails to clearly disclose that digital game purchases provide a revocable license, not ownership. The plaintiffs say Sony violates California’s 2025 Digital Goods law (AB 2426), which requires clear and conspicuous notice if goods are licensed rather than sold. They argue Sony buries key terms in lengthy agreements and uses misleading 'buy now' buttons [4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
Sony disputes these claims, arguing reasonable consumers do not expect to own digital games outright. It cites the PlayStation End User License Agreement that states, "software is licensed to you, not sold." Sony lawyers contend, "if a player truly ‘owned’ the game, then another player could not have bought the same game afterwards," pointing to two plaintiffs—Edward Heycock and Jason Mendoza—who each purchased "Resident Evil Requiem" separately in February 2026 for $69.99 [5, 9, 6, 10, 8, 11].
Sony filed a court response on August 21, 2026, reiterating digital game ownership is not plausible in the digital age and that license terms are sufficiently disclosed. In late August, Sony sent emails to players reminding them that digital purchases are licenses without ownership rights, following backlash over its announcement to end physical disc production by January 2028 and move fully to digital distribution [4, 5, 6, 7].
California’s Digital Goods law took effect on January 1, 2025, aiming to protect consumers by requiring clear license disclosures. The current lawsuit centers on whether Sony’s disclosures meet these requirements [6, 8]. The antitrust settlement and the license disclosure lawsuit highlight increased scrutiny of digital game sales practices.
The next step in the antitrust case is a final court hearing on October 15, 2026, to approve the $7.85 million settlement. Eligible buyers in the US who purchased PlayStation digital games during the specified period will then receive compensation payments [1, 2, 3].
