Sony Corporation is set to face a £2 billion ($2.7 billion) class-action lawsuit in London starting Tuesday, accused of breaching competition law by overcharging millions of UK PlayStation users.
The lawsuit, brought by consumer campaigner Alex Neill on behalf of an estimated 12.2 million users, alleges that Sony has “exploited its UK customers” for nearly a decade by charging excessively for digital games and in-game content on the PlayStation Store.
The claimants argue that Sony’s near monopoly on PlayStation digital game sales allows it to dictate prices and charge video game publishers a 30% commission, significantly higher than the 12–20% commissions typically seen on PC distribution platforms. They also claim that games are designed to encourage players, including children, to spend more to unlock features, characters, or content, while prices are “out of all proportion” to the cost of providing the service.
The trial will be heard at the Competition Appeal Tribunal in London and is expected to last about 10 weeks. The lawsuit, which was launched in 2022, seeks £1.97 billion in damages for anyone who purchased digital games or add-on content via the PlayStation Store in the past decade, with UK law automatically including all affected individuals unless they opt out.
Sony has not issued an immediate comment, though in its defense, the company argues that its distribution model is justified. The case follows a similar legal challenge last year in London against Apple Inc. over excessive App Store commissions, which Apple intends to appeal.
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