Sony is being dragged to court again for unfairly pricing digital games too high on the PlayStation Store. This time it is the Dutch consumer foundation Stichting Massaschade & Consument who said the Japanese company is abusing its market dominance to keep prices high on its e-shop.
The foundation argues that digital games on the PlayStation store cost 47% more on average compared to physical versions even though the costs of publishing and distributing digital versions are lower.
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The group has launched a digital campaign titled “Fair PlayStation” and is calling on PlayStation owners to join the lawsuit. The group has also “written to Sony to hold it liable for the abuse of its dominant position and its unlawful conduct in relation to the PlayStation 4 and 5”.
Sony is no stranger to lawsuits
This is not the first time that Sony has faced legal action for how it runs the PlayStation Store. The PlayStation maker in 2022 faced a £5 billion lawsuit on the allegation that PlayStation’s terms and conditions for developers and publishers that sell games on its platforms breached the competition law.
In 2023, Sony was slammed with another $7.9 billion class action lawsuit for allegedly overcharging customers and “abusing its dominant position” in the gaming market. The current lawsuit further puts the PlayStation Store under more scrutiny.
The current lawsuit is based on research conducted by the Dutch consumer group which claimed that PlayStation Store’s closed system and Sony’s console market dominance leads to “artificially high prices”.
The consumer group is particularly unhappy with the lack of choices for consumers in the PlayStation Store. The current lawsuit echoes some of the issues raised in the 2022 lawsuit faced by Sony in the UK. There are three steps involved for those who want to be part of the lawsuit;
- You join: to show the judge that many PlayStation users support the action
- The consumer group will go to court on your behalf and you don’t have to do anything
- You will get your Sony tax back if they win. Part of the compensation will be used to pay the legal fees.
Sony is not the only company that has faced lawsuits for its digital storefronts. Apple has faced the same for its 30% cut on all transactions made through the App Store.
But, do you think PlayStation is unfairly exploiting gamers for digital purchases? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
