In February 2025, Sony Interactive Entertainment faced a class-action lawsuit in the Netherlands, alleging that the company has been inflating prices on its PlayStation Store, causing consumers to overpay for digital games and in-game content. Dutch Mass Claims and Consumer Foundation (Massaschade & Consument) initiated the lawsuit, stating that Sony’s practices violate both Dutch and European competition laws.
Allegations
The foundation’s research indicates that digital versions of PlayStation games are, on average, 47% more expensive than their physical counterparts. Digital distribution eliminates the costs associated with manufacturing, packaging, and logistics. However, consumers are still paying higher prices.
Monopoly concerns
At the heart of the lawsuit is the accusation that Sony maintains a monopoly over digital game sales for its consoles. Other platforms, including Microsoft’s Xbox and the Epic Games Store, allow third-party retailers to sell digital game codes, but Sony restricts digital purchases exclusively to its PlayStation Store.
This policy prevents retailers like Amazon and GameStop from offering digital game vouchers, which limits competition and enables Sony to set and maintain higher prices. It's also likely to become even more pronounced as gaming console manufacturers across the board move away from physical media in favor of cloud-based gaming.
The “Sony Tax”
The lawsuit introduces the term “Sony Tax” to describe the alleged artificial inflation of prices due to Sony’s control over the digital marketplace. Lucia Melcherts, chair of the Massaschade & Consument Foundation, stated, “Sony behaves like a monopolist in more ways than one... PlayStation players continue to pay top dollar, even for games that are years old.”
This lawsuit is not an isolated incident. Sony has also faced similar legal challenges in other jurisdictions. In December 2024, the company settled a class-action lawsuit in the United States for $7.85 million. The U.S. lawsuit alleged that Sony’s restrictions on digital game sales led to consumers overpaying for PlayStation games. While Sony denied any wrongdoing, it opted to settle to avoid prolonged litigation.
If the court rules against Sony, the company may alter its digital strategy to allow third-party retailers to sell game codes, which might result in lower prices.
This legal challenge comes at an interesting time when the gaming industry is grappling with escalating development costs and discussions about increasing game prices. Notably, many in the industry hope that Rockstar Games’ upcoming title, “Grand Theft Auto VI,” will have a higher price tag, which would set a precedent for higher-priced games across the board. Rockstar Games has not commented about the cost of the game.
Maybe more competition with game sales can help keep prices down for gamers while sending more profits to developers.
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