Sony facing $7.9 billion dollar lawsuit over PlayStation Store prices
SonySony is facing a lawsuit valued around $7.9 billion USD in a UK court concerning the company forcing digital games and add-ons to be purchased through the PlayStation Store.
The lawsuit involving the PlayStation Store was originally filed in 2022. At the time, the lawsuit was valued at $5 billion USD, due to fears that Sony was breaching competition laws, as certain products could only be purchased through the PlayStation Store, while Sony took a 30% commission rate on sales.
The issue is that the commission rate, combined with the need to use the PlayStation Store to purchase specific items, had led to customers being overcharged for years. This is despite the fact that similar digital storefronts have similar rates & practices.
Alex Neill originally filed the lawsuit against Sony with the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal in 2022, though people who made purchases at the store after this point may see no benefit from the case, as it primarily concerns sales made before that point in time.
Insomniac GamesSony faces a £6.3 billion lawsuit over the PlayStation Store’s sales practices
According to Reuters, the Competition Appeal Tribunal has approved the case to go forward, which is estimated to be worth around £6.3 billion GBP/$7.9 billion USD. The timeframe and start date for the case has yet to be determined.
As the co-founder of the Consumer Voice, Neill made a statement about the case on the organization’s official website.
“This is the first step in ensuring consumers get back what they’re owed as a result of Sony breaking the law. Playstation gamers’ loyalty has been taken advantage of by Sony who has been charging them excessive prices for years.”
Sony’s legal defense has retorted that the case was “flawed from start to finish” and intends to fight the claim. If the Competition Appeal Tribunal has approved the case to proceed, it’s unlikely to be thrown out before the case begins, despite Sony’s arguments to the contrary.
The case still has a long way to go, outside of a deal settling the case early. If the case is victorious, anyone in the United Kingdom who purchased content on the PlayStation Store in certain timeframes could receive compensation for the claim.