Sony does not consider itself obligated to share with PlayStation 5 buyers the funds that the company expects to receive from the US government as a refund of previously paid import duties. This was stated by Sony Interactive Entertainment lawyers as part of a lawsuit initiated by American gamers.
Back in July, Sony informed investors that it expects to receive approximately $508 million from the US government in tariff refunds. Most of this amount, according to the company's CFO, should come from the gaming division.
The reason for the legal dispute was import tariffs introduced in the US in 2025. After the US Supreme Court declared the relevant duties illegal in February 2026, companies began to seek a refund of the paid funds.
However, gamers believe that some of this money should be returned to them. In May, a group of buyers filed a class-action lawsuit against Sony, arguing that the company effectively received double compensation: first by raising PS5 prices, and then by receiving tariff refunds from the US government.
Sony disagrees with this. In a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, the company's lawyers stated that purchasing a product at a set price is not in itself a legally significant damage. In their opinion, consumers voluntarily purchased consoles at the specified price and cannot demand compensation simply because the manufacturer's cost structure subsequently changed.