Console makers say buyers are owed nothing from their tariff refunds

Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have all moved to dismiss class actions arguing they should pass US tariff refunds back to console buyers, saying customers paid advertised prices and got working consoles. European buyers absorbed the same increases but there is no European tariff refund, because there was no European tariff.

Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are all arguing in American courts that they should not have to pass tariff refunds back to the people who bought their consoles, Business Insider reported.

Sony’s lawyers told a court on Monday that buyers “suffered no cognizable injury because they voluntarily paid the advertised prices for the consoles and received exactly what they paid for“. They also said the plaintiffs had not plausibly alleged that tariffs caused the increases.

Microsoft put it more bluntly. “He paid for it, he received it, and he continues to use it,” its filing said of the plaintiff.

Nintendo moved first, in July, after the US Supreme Court ruled the tariffs illegal and forced the government to refund companies. It says the plaintiffs do not dispute that its pricing adjustments were lawful.

The money is real. Sony expects about 80 billion yen, roughly $510M, across the group, Nintendo has recorded a $300M refund, and Microsoft has not said. The same three companies warned Washington about console tariffs back in 2019.

Walmart and Costco have said they intend to pass savings back to shoppers, which is what makes the console makers’ position conspicuous.

European buyers paid the increases too, and have nothing to argue about at all.

Sony raised PS5 prices across Europe, the UK and Australia in April 2025, citing a challenging economic environment with high inflation and exchange-rate swings. None of those markets was paying American tariffs.

Xbox followed, with the Series X going up by 200 euros in Europe. Nintendo raised Switch 2 prices in May.

There is no European tariff refund, because there was no European tariff. The pot the American plaintiffs are fighting over simply does not exist on this side.

Europe does now have collective redress. The Representative Actions Directive has applied since June 2023 and lets designated bodies seek remedies including reimbursement of the price paid.

It needs an infringement of consumer law to bite. Raising prices and citing inflation is not one, however irritating it looked at the time.

So American buyers are at least arguing over money that exists, and console makers have settled before. European buyers paid the same increases, got the same explanation, and never had a fund to argue about.

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