Sony and Xbox to gamers: cry harder, price was the price
After Trump's 2025 tariffs pushed console prices up, the Supreme Court struck them down and Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo got refunded, Sony alone pocketing $508 million, more than double what it paid for Insomniac Games. Gamers who footed the tariff markup are now suing for their cut, but the companies are fighting back hard. Microsoft's lawyers argued there's "nothing unjust" about paying an advertised price and getting exactly what you paid for, while Sony claims its pricing reflects "diverse and dynamic" costs, not just tariffs, since it raised prices again even after they were voided.
The numbers
Sony's tariff refund of $508 million dwarfs what many players paid extra for a single PS5. Microsoft and Nintendo face similar class actions, and if courts side with the companies, it sets a precedent: businesses can pocket windfalls from reversed government policy while customers who funded the original price hike get nothing back.