Sony’s 2006-born PlayStation 3 is finally at rest, but those who owned the original model are in for a last surprise in the form of a $65 settlement payment from Sony, if they bought the machine brand new and tried to load it up with a Linux OS. Specifically, you have to have purchased a fat PS3 brand new from one of the original runs, which means that you got it from a qualifying retailer between November 1, 2006 and April 1, 2010. The core conceit here is that the machine received an update, version 3.21, that disabled the Other OS functionality, which allowed PS3 owners to use the console as a severely under-powered Linux PC. Those who were slighted by that update, including people who wanted to run Linux but couldn’t, or were running Linux up until the update hit, are part of the class action settlement.
This lawsuit has been going on for a while, and has gathered a fair number of plaintiffs. In order to get on that list, you’ll have to head through the source link and fill out a claim form. Claim forms, exclusions, and objections are due in by April 15, 2018. Any claim form submitted after that date, or submitted with incomplete or invalid information for that matter, will be thrown out. You’ll need to provide personal details to facilitate payment, as well as the PSN ID used on the PS3, or the PS3’s serial number, in order to prove that you did own and operate a first-generation fat PS3 during the time frame of the class action.
It is worth noting that the money is to be distributed on a pro rata basis. That means that Sony has a set amount paid out for this settlement, and the claims administrator is responsible for ensuring that everybody involved gets a cut of that. That, in turn, means that a large number of plaintiffs at a rate of $65 per offended party may end up going over budget, which means that the claims administrator will have to adjust payouts in order to accommodate the budget. $65 is the maximum payout, so if too few plaintiffs sign up to satisfy the budget, what happens to the rest of the money is up to the claims administrator. The final approval hearing for the case will be on May 29, 2018, so you should see your money shortly after that if you’re approved.