Sony and Microsoft request dismissal of consumer lawsuits over tariff refunds

GamesIndustry.biz reports that Sony and Microsoft have moved to dismiss class action lawsuits claiming they should refund consumers after 2025 PlayStation 5 and Xbox price increases tied to US-imposed tariffs. The suits hinge on the Supreme Court ruling those tariffs illegal, but both platform holders say the pricing changes were driven by a mix of inflation, currency shifts, component costs, logistics, competition, and demand.

Sony’s filing in California’s Northern District argues it had no legal duty to pass any tariff refund through to customers. Its lawyers also point to later hardware price increases after the tariffs were struck down, saying that timeline undercuts the claim that tariffs were the sole driver of the earlier hikes.

Microsoft made a similar case in federal court in Washington State, saying there is no basis for a dollar-for-dollar tariff calculation and that the plaintiff bought an Xbox at the advertised price. Nintendo made a comparable dismissal request in July, arguing consumers could simply choose not to buy at the listed price and noting it absorbed tariff costs on some products while selectively adjusting others.

For developers and platform business teams, the practical takeaway is that hardware pricing remains a multi-variable decision, not a transparent pass-through of import costs. Sony separately told investors in July it expected $508 million in tariff refunds, which lifted Q1 operating income by 37%, while Panic remains the only hardware maker so far to refund tariff surcharges directly to customers.