PS4 and PS5 owners could be owed £500 from Sony thanks to legal claim | Gaming | Entertainment
Millions of PS4 and PS5 gamers in the UK could be owed money from Sony after a legal claim was launched. The claim was filed with the Competition Appeal Tribunal on Friday and affects 8.9million PlayStation gamers in the UK. The action is being led by Alex Neill, consumer champion and ex-managing director of Which?, whose claim accuses Sony of overcharging gamers for PS4 and PS5 digital games and in-game purchases.
The claim, which is seeking up to £5billion in damages, will affect anyone in the UK that has purchased digital games or additional content on their PS4 or PS5 through the PlayStation Store marketplace since August 19 2016.
The estimated damages per person is between £67 and £562.
Speaking about the claim, Neill said: “With this legal action I am standing up for the millions of UK people who have been unwittingly overcharged.
“Gaming is now the biggest entertainment industry in the UK, ahead of TV, video and music and many vulnerable people rely on gaming for community and connection.
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“The actions of Sony are costing millions of people who can’t afford it, particularly when we’re in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis and the consumer purse is being squeezed like never before.
“Collective proceedings like this are vital because they provide the opportunity for us to hold large companies to account on behalf of consumers who deserve to be treated fairly and get back what they’re owed.”
The crux of the legal claim against Sony is the PlayStation makers are accused of using its market position to overcharge consumers.
The PS4 and PS5 makers are accused of charging a 30 percent commission on purchases of digital games and in-game content from the PlayStation Store.
Express.co.uk has contacted PlayStation for comment about this legal claim.
If you’re a PS4 or PS5 gamer that has purchased content digitally and wants to get involved with the claim you don’t need to do anything.
That’s because the legal claim is opt out only, so you only need to do something if you don’t want to be part of it.
More information on the claim can be found on playstationyouoweus.co.uk.
In terms of how long it could take for the case to go through, the FAQ on the website says those acting on the claim will encourage Sony to settle as soon as possible – however if this is refused it could take “several years” before compensation is secured.
