A Dutch consumer organization, Massaschade & Consument, has started legal proceedings against Sony as part of their campaign. It accuses the company of keeping higher costs on PlayStation Store digital game products, exploiting its powerful market presence.
According to the group, digital games available on PlayStation Store platforms cost customers substantially more than physical game versions.
Legal proceedings in the past have targeted Sony because of its policies on PlayStation Store operations. The UK legal system pursued Sony with a £5 billion lawsuit in 2022 because their game developer and publisher guidelines were suspected of violating competition laws.
As 2023 began, Sony received a $7.9 billion class action lawsuit that accused the company of charging excessive fees and misusing its strong position in the gaming industry.
Sony is facing challengers once more regarding its PlayStation Store operations during 2025.
Sony charges 47% increased costs on PlayStation digital store
According to Sony’s economic research the group, as shared by Stek, reveals that digital games on the PlayStation Store cost 47% more than physical versions despite the fact that digital games lack printing or shipping expenses.
The group also claims that Sony’s dominant console position, combined with its closed system in the market, results in higher prices or “Sony Tax”.
Sony makes it difficult for consumers to purchase digital game keys from other stores. The case presented in 2022 UK courts contains arguments that match the current Dutch lawsuit.
PlayStation digital buyers in the Netherlands are invited to join the case
The lawsuit accuses Sony of using PlayStation Store policies that create unreasonable price hikes for PlayStation users who have purchased digital copies.
The Dutch group is inviting Playstation users based in the Netherlands to join the case without any costs. To be a participant in the case, the user should have purchased a PS digital game, DLC, or an in-game item at least once from the digital store.
A court appearance will take place in late 2025 as the first official hearing. Through this lawsuit, the group aims for Sony Corporation to charge its PlayStation users daily and allow third-party retailers to sell their digital copies.
Moreover, the group also wants Sony to comply with EU regulations as it is “illegal for large companies to abuse their position to make more profit at the expense of consumers”.
This isn’t the first digital store lawsuit that has been filed.
Epic filed lawsuits against both Apple and Google after Apple faced legal action for its 30% AppStore fee. These cases are not related to Sony, but they share similar charges of market control and overpriced charges.
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