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A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Sony in the Netherlands over the gaming giant’s digital pricing tactics and alleged abuse of dominant market position. Spearheaded by the Massaschade and Consument Foundation – a Dutch consumer group – under the “Fair PlayStation” campaign, the lawsuit argues that Sony is inflating prices on the PlayStation Store and restricting consumer choice through monopolistic practices.

Sony is no stranger to legal trouble over the PlayStation Store. Back in 2022, a high-profile £5 billion class-action lawsuit was filed against Sony in the UK. Set to go to trial in 2026, it alleges that Sony breached competition law by enforcing restrictive terms on developers and publishers selling games on the PlayStation Store. The Dutch lawsuit against Sony – filed earlier this year – builds on these accusations, but focuses specifically on the impact within the Netherlands, where PlayStation holds a whopping 80 percent share of the console market.

According to the Masschade and Consumer Foundationover 1.7 million Dutch consumers may have been overcharged by Sony due to artificially inflated prices on the PlayStation Store. Economic research cited in the lawsuit claims that digital versions of games cost 47 percent more than their physical counterparts on average – even though digital distribution does not incur any costs related to shipping or packaging. The lawsuit also points to Sony’s strategy of locking users into its ecosystem, particularly through digital-only consoles like the PS5 Digital Edition, and banning alternative storefronts from operating on the platform.

Dutch Class-Action Lawsuit Alleges Sony Overcharged Consumers by Nearly $505 Million in the Past 12 Years

All of this combined has supposedly led to a so-called “Sony Tax” that’s cost Dutch consumers approximately €435 million ($505 million) since 2013. The situation is exacerbated by Sony’s pricing decisions, including recent increases to the PS5’s retail price across several regionsciting inflation and currency fluctuations. Legal representatives argue that Sony’s ability to make such decisions unilaterally – with no market alternatives or competitive pressure – demonstrates how limited consumer choice has become. The foundation hopes that a successful outcome in court will force Sony to open its digital ecosystem to competing sellers, which could lead to lower prices and more options for consumers.

The consumer group certainly makes lots of valid points, especially around Sony’s profit margins on digital games due to standardized pricing with physical versions. While it would’ve been tough for the Dutch lawsuit to bring about any change by itself, similar suits in the UK and France could help strengthen its case. Moreover, if this attracts the attention of the European Union, Sony may have a much harder time defending itself. For perspective, the EU was the reason behind Apple opening up iOS to third-party app stores in 2022.