Sony and Nintendo adjust auto-renewal subscriptions in UK

Sony and Nintendo are adjusting their auto-renewal terms in the UK. Microsoft already did that in January. The companies make adjustments after investigation by the regulator.

Sony will inform customers who do not use the services associated with game subscriptions about how to cancel their subscription, while Nintendo will disable auto-renewal for new subscribers by default, says Competitions and Market Authority regulator. The new terms and conditions only apply to the United Kingdom.

Microsoft already did the same in January, but the Xbox maker is not going to limit itself to the UK. Ultimately, the company will end inactive subscriptions from users worldwide to prevent them from paying for something they no longer want or can use.

The CMA says it is closing its investigation into game subscriptions with this one. That investigation started in 2019 and focused on issues such as difficulties with getting refunds and problems with automatic subscription renewals.