Sony faces a £2 billion class action in London, accused of overcharging millions of UK PlayStation users for digital games and in-game content for nearly a decade

LONDON: Sony faces a £2 billion class action lawsuit starting in London, accused of overcharging millions of UK PlayStation users for digital games and in-game content.

The lawsuit, brought by consumer campaigner Alex Neill on behalf of an estimated 12.2 million users, alleges Sony breached competition law by exploiting its customers for nearly a decade.

The claimants allege Sony has a near monopoly on digital game sales for its console, allowing it to dictate prices and charge a 30% sales commission to publishers.

They contrast this with PC game distribution platforms, which face greater competition and charge commissions of around 12 to 20%.

“Sony has a near monopoly on the sale of digital games” for its console, allowing it to dictate prices and charge a 30 percent sales commission to video game publishers, the claimants allege.

The claimants argue Sony’s prices are disproportionate to the costs of providing its services through the PlayStation Store.

The trial at the Competition Appeal Tribunal is expected to last around 10 weeks and seeks £1.97 billion in damages.

Damages would be shared by anyone who purchased digital games or add-on content via the PlayStation store in the decade leading to February 2026.

Under UK law, all potentially affected persons are included in this type of class action by default and may benefit from compensation unless they voluntarily opt out.

Sony did not immediately respond to a request for comment but has previously argued its distribution model is justified.

The case follows a similar ruling last year where Apple lost a lawsuit in London for abusing its dominant position on its App Store.

 The Sun Malaysia