- A lawsuit has begun against Sony for “unfair” charges on the PlayStation Store
- Accuses Sony of “exploiting” UK customers by charging higher prices in its store
- Around 12.2 million PlayStation users in the UK could receive compensation for any purchase, amounting to around £2 billion in total if the case is won.
A class action lawsuit filed against Sony could mean millions of PlayStation users in the UK are entitled to a collective £2 billion compensation for alleged unfair charges made on the PlayStation Store.
As reported by Sky, the case, called ‘PlayStation You Owe Us’, was brought in 2022 by consumer activist Alex Neill, who accuses Sony of “exploiting its UK customers by charging them too much” for the sale of digital games and gaming content.
The lawsuit also claims that Sony violated competition law by controlling the PlayStation Store and argues that “Sony has a near monopoly on the sale of digital games and complementary content.”
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Since game developers are charged a 30% commission to sell their games on the PlayStation Store, and Sony sets the price of the games, Neill alleges that the cost is “excessive and unfair” and 20% more than physical editions.
“The result is that Sony can and does set the retail prices for all that content without facing any retail competition for digital content,” said Robert Palmer KC, for the plaintiff. “It allows it to obtain monopolistic profits from digital distribution, setting retail prices at what it calls its target margin of an excessive and unfair 30% above the level of digital wholesale prices.”
He also added that gamers are inclined to purchase digital games from the PlayStation Store, as only three of Sony’s current consoles contain a disc drive.
If Neill wins the case, it is estimated that 12.2 million PlayStation users in the UK could receive compensation for any purchase “over a period of approximately” 10 years (specifically between August 2016 and February 2026), representing around £2 billion in total, and £162 each.
Users will automatically be included in any lawsuit on an “opt-out” basis.
Sony has argued against the claims, saying its distribution model is justified because allowing downloads on third-party stores would introduce security and privacy risks.
The trial began on Tuesday, March 10, and is expected to last about nine weeks before a verdict is issued.
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