How to find out if you qualify for up to £562 compensation from PlayStation
Why gamers might want to keep tabs on this major lawsuit against Sony.
If you made a recent purchase on the PlayStation online store, you could be set for a not insignificant refund - between £67 and £562.
That's according to a major lawsuit filed against Japanese tech giant Sony, which has been given the go ahead by the UK's Competition Appeal Tribunal.
The lawsuit was filed by Alex Neill, a consumer champion, on behalf of the 8.9 million UK users of PlayStation.
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Neil argues that Sony has a "near monopoly on the sale of digital games and add-on content through its control of the PlayStation Store", as per the PlayStation You Owe Us site - and estimates that damages owed in the claim fall between £600,000 and £5bn ($760,000-$6bn), before interest.
If the lawsuit is successful - and the estimations are right - this could mean that eligible PlayStation gamers might be set for compensation between £67 and £562 ($85-$710) each before interest, PlayStation You Owe Us says.
The lawsuit process is expected to take several years, so PS5 users will need to wait before they can see if they are eligible for a refund.
Tha claimants accuse Sony of running the PlayStation Store in a "restrictive" way. It alleges that Sony doesn't allow third-party operating systems or applications to be used on PlayStation, games and add-ons can only be sold and purchased through the PlayStation store, and suggests Sony charges around 30% commission on all purchases of games and add-on content made through the store.
The filing is claiming damages for Sony's alleged "unlawful anticompetitive conduct".
If you bought anything on the PlayStation Store between August 19 2016 and the date of the final judgment or earlier settlement of proceedings, and live in the UK, you could automatically be part of this class action lawsuit.
Unfortunately, we won't find out for a while what the result of this lawsuit is - the site notes that "cases of this nature can take several years" - but you can sign up for updates here.
Last week, the Competition Appeal Tribunal said the lawsuit could go ahead, with Neill saying: "This is the first step in ensuring consumers get back what they’re owed as a result of Sony breaking the law. PlayStation gamers’ loyalty has been taken advantage of by Sony who has been charging them excessive prices for years."
In the filing, Sony said the case was "flawed from start to finish".
Sony has been contacted for comment.