Sony and Microsoft Will Follow Nintendo With a Controversial Decision That Will Affect PlayStation and Xbox Players

U.S. tariffs forced Sony and Microsoft to raise the prices of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, consoles that are now considerably more expensive than they were at launch. Donald Trump’s trade war also affected Nintendo and its plans for the Switch 2 launch. However, the U.S. president ultimately failed to get his way, as the tariffs were declared illegal and unconstitutional.

That ruling resulted in the companies receiving massive refunds from the U.S. government. Despite that, console prices did not come down. In fact, they went up even further. Some players sued Nintendo over what they considered unjust enrichment and argued that the company should return part of the money it received from the tariff refunds to customers who had paid the higher prices.

Nintendo refused to do so, arguing that players had willingly decided to purchase its products despite the price increases caused by the tariffs. Now, Sony and Microsoft have taken a similar stance, meaning PlayStation and Xbox fans should not expect to see their money returned.

Sony and PlayStation Will Not Refund Tariff-Related Price Increases

Nintendo faced heavy criticism for keeping the entire tariff refund, particularly because its customers were the ones who ultimately absorbed the impact of the higher prices on consoles and accessories. The company defended its position by arguing that its fans accepted the new prices and received “exactly what they bargained for and paid for: a console, a game and/or an accessory at a price agreed upon by both parties.”

PlayStation fans hoped Sony would take a different approach and offer refunds to customers who paid more for a PS5 because of the tariffs. Unfortunately for them, the company has chosen to follow Nintendo’s example and will keep the entire $508 million refund it expects to receive from the U.S. government.

A legal filing from Sony’s team, reported by GameSpot, confirmed that PlayStation customers will not be able to recover the additional money they paid for a PS5 as a result of Donald Trump’s tariffs. Sony’s lawyers argued that customers voluntarily paid a fair market price, meaning the company has no legal obligation to issue refunds.

“Paying fair market price for consumer goods voluntarily purchased does not constitute legally cognizable actual injury,” Sony’s legal team stated.

Sony also pointed out that the PS5’s price increase was not caused exclusively by tariffs. The company said the adjustment was necessary because of a combination of economic factors. That argument reinforces its position that it is not required to return money to players or lower the price of its hardware.

“If tariffs were the cause of the price increase, one would expect SIE to lower prices once the tariffs were removed, not raise them again. Instead, the timeline confirms that the price of PlayStation consoles reflects a diverse and dynamic set of production costs,” Sony’s lawyers added.

Microsoft Will Not Refund Xbox Players for Tariff-Related Costs Either

Xbox players who paid more for a Series X|S also have disappointing news: Microsoft does not plan to issue tariff-related refunds. Its legal team has taken essentially the same position as Nintendo and PlayStation, arguing that customers knowingly accepted the advertised prices for the consoles they purchased.

“There is nothing unfair about a plaintiff purchasing an Xbox at the advertised price and receiving exactly what they paid for,” Microsoft’s lawyers argued.

Microsoft also claimed that the class-action lawsuits filed by players fail to demonstrate a “price differential attributable to tariffs.” As a result, the technology giant will keep the entire refund it receives from the U.S. government and does not plan to reduce the prices of its consoles.

For PlayStation and Xbox owners, that means the tariff controversy is unlikely to translate into cheaper hardware anytime soon. Even though the companies are set to receive substantial refunds, players who already paid the higher prices should not expect to see any of that money returned.