Attention, PlayStation 3 owners: Sony might owe you $65 in a settlement for a class action lawsuit, and you have just about a month to claim the money.
Not all PlayStation 3 customers, however, are eligible to receive the cash. However, for those who are, who would have thought that an aging console will make you $65 richer?
Why Does Sony Owe $65 To PlayStation 3 Owners?
Customers who purchased the original PlayStation 3, lovingly named the "fat" PS3, have until April 15 to send in their forms to claim $65 from Sony.
The claim is Sony's settlement for a nationwide class action lawsuit sparked by the decision to remove the OtherOS feature of the PlayStation 3. The feature allowed users to allocate a part of the console's hard drive to install other operating systems such as Linux. However, it was removed by Sony in an April 2010 update, citing security concerns.
According to the lawsuit, Sony breached warranty terms and falsely advertised the console, as the OtherOS feature was one of the selling points of the PlayStation 3.
Initially, the claims were only for $55, with a Dec. 7, 2017 deadline for filing by affected customers. However, a judge rejected the agreement, pushing the amount to $65 and extending the deadline. The total settlement is now about $3.75 million, with $3,500 each going to the five named plaintiffs of the class action lawsuit, up to $400,000 going to attorneys, and the rest to be distributed to eligible customers.
How Can PlayStation 3 Customers Claim The Money?
To be eligible for the claim, customers should have purchased the "fat" PlayStation 3 between Nov. 1, 2006 and April 1, 2010 from an authorized retailer. The eligible models have storage capacities of 20 GB, 40 GB, 60 GB, and 80 GB.
If you think you are eligible, you will have to accomplish and submit the claim form hosted on the dedicated website for the OtherOS settlement. Information that customers will need to provide include the serial number of their PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Network ID associated with the console.
PlayStation 3 On The Way Out
The PlayStation 3, meanwhile, is already on the way out. Sony ended PlayStation 3 production and shipments in its home country of Japan in May 2017, after 11 years since the previous-generation console's launch in 2006. In the announcement of the PlayStation Plus free games for March 2018, Sony revealed that there will be no more free PlayStation 3 games for subscribers starting March 2019.
The $65 settlement claim, therefore, is like a parting gift from the PlayStation 3 as the console enters the twilight of its life.
