Sony, £2.7 billion class action lawsuit for overcharges on PlayStation games

Over 12 million gamers in the UK against Sony. The Japanese multinational will face a £2 billion class action lawsuit, approximately EUR 2.35 billion, before London's specialist Competition Appeal Tribunal. The accusation is that it has abused its dominant position to chargesurcharges to millions of British users who are fans of the video game console, produced by Sony. The lawsuit, brought by consumer campaignerAlex Neill on behalf of some 12.2 million users, accuses the electronics giant of "exploiting British customers" for nearly a decade by charging excessive prices for digital games and in-game contenton the PlayStation store. According to the plaintiff, Sony has a near-monopoly on the sale of digital games, which would allow it to dictate prices and chargea 30 per cent commission to publishers, compared to 12-20 per cent charged by more competitive PC platforms.

The users' lawyers claim that the prices charged 'are disproportionate to the actual costs of the service'. But thehigh prices are not the only complaint made against Sony. For consumer lawyers, in fact, the game mechanics are designed toencourage spending, even by minors, to progress, unlock features or customise the gaming experience. The proceedings were initiated in 2022; the claim is for £1.97 billion to be distributed among those who purchaseddigital games or additional content on the PlayStation store in the decade to February 2026, with limited exceptions. Under UK law, all potential claimants are automatically included in the class action unless they explicitly opt out.

If successful, each user of theclass action could obtain anaverage compensation of around £162, 185 euros. Sony defends its commercial policy, justifying the costs, which ended up in the crosshairs of the Antitrust Authority, with the huge investments in hardware, digital infrastructure, security and development. It also explained the distribution model with the risks, which third-party shops could introduce for security and privacy. Finally, the defence line also included the ecosystem argument, which the committees on digital content help to support.

The trial, which will take about 10 weeks, is part of a context in which the Antitrust Authority is devoting attention to digital stores. Last year it was Apple that was condemned by the specialised court in London, again for abuse of dominant position and excessive commissions on the App Store. A verdict against which the California-based company will appeal.