PlayStation users in UK could receive share of £2 billion compensation

Of the millions who use PlayStation in the UK a huge majority could be eligible for a new class action lawsuit totalling an eye-water £2 billion in compensation.

This news comes just days after the announcement that millions of UK drivers could be eligible for an average payment of £829 if they bought car finance between 2007 and 2024.

PlayStation users will be rubbing their hands together in a similar vein because the £2 billion lawsuit will apply to most people who are regularly using the gaming console.

The lawsuit makes some major claims, suggesting that Sony’s use and control of the PlayStation store broke laws around competition.

This is because, when using a PlayStation, you can only buy digital games within the console by using the PlayStation store.

The lawsuit claims that this meant that ‘Sony has a near monopoly on the sale of digital games and add-on content’.

Alex Neill launched the class action suit in March in a move that could see cheaper digital games in addition to the huge payouts.

Neill is a ‘consumer champion’, the CEO of Consumer Voice a company that ‘helps consumers get back what they’re owed from rule-breaking companies’.

Consumer Voice were previously behind a successful £1.5 billion lawsuit at Apple after it was found to have ‘abused its dominant position’.

The lawsuit against Apple claimed a very similar grievance, suggesting that their monopoly of the app store allowed them ‘systematically overcharged UK consumers for nearly a decade’.

According to Consumer Voice this was in part due to the fact that developers are charged 30% commission for selling games in the story, whilst Sony sets the price of the games. Ms Neill stated this resulted in ‘excessive and unfair prices” for gamers.

Per the lawsuit this may have led to as much as a 20% increase in prices for digital games vs physical copies.

Signing up to take part in Neill’s class action suit against PlayStation is fairly simple as it applies to Sony PlayStation UK console owners who purchased digital PlayStation games between 19 August 2016 and 12 February 2026. This also applies to anyone who made in game purchases of any kind.

A select group of people do not fall into this, but unless you work for PlayStation, Consumer Voice, or are a judge, you’re probably included if you bought a game during the qualifying period.

If the lawsuit passes it will be a massive amount of people who apply, with 12.2 million people estimated to fall into this class.

The suit had a period, ending in March of last year, to sign up, however anyone who falls into the ‘class’ for the lawsuit will be automatically included unless they opt out.

According to the lawsuit’s website, titled PlayStation You Owe Us, anyone who signed up won’t be at risk legally or financially if the lawsuit fails.

Sony are contesting the lawsuit, arguing in their legal filling that its distribution model is the way it is due to security and privacy risks.

This is due to what they have stated they believe are risks involved in allowing third-party stores for downloads, with Sony claiming this justifies their distribution model.

LADbible Group have contacted Sony for comment.