Sony has been ordered to face a mass lawsuit in London, with a potential value of up to 6.3 billion pounds ($7.9 billion). The case revolves around allegations that the PlayStation maker abused its dominant position, resulting in unfair prices for its customers. The lawsuit, brought by consumer advocate Alex Neill on behalf of almost nine million people in the United Kingdom, claims that Sony required digital games and add-on content to be exclusively bought and sold through its PlayStation Store, which charges a 30% commission to developers and publishers.
According to Neill, this practice has led to customers paying higher prices for games and add-on content than they would have otherwise. Sony’s lawyers argued that the case was fundamentally flawed and should be dismissed. However, the Competition Appeal Tribunal ruled that the case could proceed. It did, however, exclude individuals who made PlayStation Store purchases after the case was filed in 2022 from the proposed claimant class.
Neill expressed satisfaction with the tribunal’s ruling, calling it “the first step in ensuring consumers get back what they’re owed.” Sony has yet to comment on the ruling.
