Sony faces $2.7b lawsuit over PlayStation Store prices

Sony is fighting a nearly £2 billion (US$2.7 billion) lawsuit in London that accuses it of using the PlayStation Store to keep digital game prices high.

Filed at the Competition Appeal Tribunal on behalf of about 12 million UK consumers, the suit alleges Sony required games and add-ons to be sold only via its store.

It also claims prices were higher than for physical games.

Sony said it invested years and billions in its platform, and that rivals Nintendo and Microsoft use similar models.

Its lawyers said margins were not excessive and the claim ignored Sony’s costs and brand value.

Alex Neill, who leads the case, said gamers had paid too much and should get some money back.

The claim was earlier valued at up to £5.0 billion (US$6.7 billion) and is now about £2.0 billion (US$2.7 billion).

🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

A recent Apple ruling may complicate Sony’s defense

Claimants cite Sony’s developer agreements, which allegedly limit digital PlayStation game and add‑on sales to the PlayStation Store and give Sony control over retail pricing for that content 1.
The dispute follows an October 2025 ruling from the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT), a specialist UK court that hears competition law disputes, which ruled that Apple abused its dominant position in iOS app distribution and in-app payment services through exclusivity and tying in its App Store model 2.
In the Apple case, the CAT rejected Apple’s “systems market” approach and dismissed security and privacy claims as necessary and proportionate. Sony has raised similar arguments in the PlayStation Store case 3.
The CAT also ruled that Apple’s 30% commission was excessive and unfair. It set indicative competitive rates for damages at 17.5% for iOS app distribution services and 10% for iOS in-app payment services, which may influence how the CAT reviews platform commissions in other disputes 2.

The “walled garden” business model faces intensifying scrutiny

The lawsuit challenges closed digital storefronts where platform owners such as Sony and Apple control digital distribution on their devices 3.
The UK’s Consumer Rights Act 2015 allows “opt-out” collective proceedings, which are being used to contest alleged dominance abuses tied to digital distribution and commission levels 4.
Related pressure appears in the EU under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which has pushed Apple to allow alternative app distribution and payment options for EU users and developers 5.
If Sony loses, legal pressure on the common 30% commission model could rise. The result will still depend on market definition, dominance, and platform-specific evidence 3.