Sony is seeking to dismiss a class action lawsuit regarding the price increase of PS5. The plaintiffs are demanding that the company refund the additional cost to consumers who purchased PS5 in the United States since August 1, 2025, for a total claim of approximately $508 million. Sony, on the other hand, stated in court documents that consumers voluntarily purchased the products at the public price and that this does not constitute a damage for which legal relief can be sought.
Sony claims that tariffs are not the only reason
Sony's lawyers stated in the document that attributing the price increase in August 2025 solely to tariffs is both unfounded and illogical. The company listed several factors that could affect pricing, including inflation, exchange rate fluctuations, component costs, logistics expenses, market competition, and changes in demand.
The report mentioned that the price of PS5 was raised again in March this year, just about five weeks after the relevant tariffs were canceled. The standard version of PS5 in the US market saw its price increase to $649.99, and prices in the UK, Europe, and Japan also rose accordingly. Based on this, Sony argues that if the previous price increases were entirely driven by tariffs, then prices should have fallen after the tariffs were canceled, rather than continuing to rise.
All three hosting manufacturers are facing lawsuits.
Microsoft filed a similar motion on August 21 at the Federal Court of Washington, requesting to dismiss a lawsuit surrounding the pricing of Xbox. Microsoft's lawyers stated that there is no "injustice" in consumers purchasing Xbox at the listed price, and it is also impossible to accurately calculate after the fact how much of the product price is due to the impact of tariffs.
Earlier in late July, Nintendo stated to the court that product prices are set by the company or retailers, and consumers decide for themselves whether to purchase. Unlike Sony and Microsoft, the handheld manufacturer Panic has refunded the previously added 19% tariff fees to its customers, making it one of the few game hardware manufacturers to take such a refund measure at present.
The court has not yet made a ruling.
In February of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a case that the president cannot impose relevant tariffs under the Emergency Powers Act. The two plaintiffs who sued Sony this time filed a lawsuit on May 6th, demanding compensation for the additional amounts paid by American consumers since August 2025 due to the increase in PS5.
As of now, the court has not made a ruling on the motions to dismiss submitted by Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo.
Additional information:The report also mentioned that Sony recently argued in another case in California that purchasing a digital version of a game does not equate to obtaining full ownership. The company has previously applied for patents related to game tokens and has been reported to be considering using stablecoins for game payments.
