Sony Gets Sued Over Its Digital Game Pricing Practices in Nederlands

The Dutch consumer nonprofit organization Stichting Massaschade & Consument filed a lawsuit against Sony, alleging that prices of digital PlayStation games are nearly double the cost of physical versions within Nederlands.

According to reports, the foundation argues that this price discrepancy comes despite lower distribution costs for digital copies and accuses Sony of abusing its dominant position in the console market.

‘’Of course, a company like Sony is allowed to make money. But it should do so fairly. We want Sony to start charging fair prices. ‘‘ states the organization on its website.

According to Massaschade, digital PlayStation games in the Netherlands cost an average of 47% more than physical versions, with no legitimate justification. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of allegedly over three million Dutch PlayStation players, claims that Sony’s monopolistic control over digital sales is at the root of the issue. The company stopped allowing third-party retailers to sell digital game codes back in 2019, meaning the only way to purchase digital titles is either through PlayStation’s official storefront or by buying specific digital cards sold at physical retail locations.

Massaschade also argues that Sony forces game developers to accept the prices the company sets for their titles on the PlayStation Store. Such practices, the foundation claims, force consumers to pay high prices, even for older games. The lawsuit also refers to similar legal actions, including a lawsuit in the US in 2021 and a pending case in the UK, which has raised concerns about Sony’s business practices violating competition rules.

At the time of writing, according to the Plat Prices platform, an exclusive PlayStation game, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, costs $69.99 in the US, in the UK, the price is £69.99 ($86.79), while in the Netherlands, games cost is €79.99($85.59).