Sony Hit with Class Action for High Digital Game and DLC Prices: Group Claims ‘Sony Tax’ Makes Digital Games 47% Pricier Than Discs

Sure, let’s dive in:

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So here’s the thing: Dutch folks who love their PlayStations are pretty ticked off. There’s this whole buzz about the so-called ‘Sony tax,’ and honestly, it feels like a soap opera. They’ve got their legal eagles ready and today, they’ve filed a big, messy class action lawsuit against Sony. It’s all about monopoly or something. Basically, they’re kind of mad because they think Sony is squeezing extra euros out of them by jacking up prices on digital games. They’re talking like a 47% markup compared to the physical copies. I mean, really? Almost 50% more? Seems wild.

The folks running this ‘Fair PlayStation’ shindig did some digging—like real detective work—and say Sony’s been living large on its fat monopoly throne for at least a decade. Ten whole years! And then they went and barred other app stores from setting up shop on PlayStation. It’s like putting up a big “No Entry” sign and yelling, “My turf, hands off!” Apparently, about 1.7 million PlayStation owners in the Netherlands have been forking over too much cash. We’re talking €435 million, or about $505 million for you U.S. readers. That’s a lot of coin since 2013, and trust me, it’s got this group fired up.

Meanwhile, in other countries, PS5 game prices are steep no matter what, like $69.99 in the U.S. And you know what? Sony’s digital store has a monopoly on the whole pricing game. No discounts, no sales, just the standard hefty price tag. Kinda makes you miss the days when physical sellers would slice prices just to move more product, right? But that’s the thing. With digital-only consoles, that competition is fading. And honestly, it’s a bummer.

Lucia Melcherts, who’s like the face of this whole legal gang, has been talking about how gamers have spent serious dough on their games. She’s all, “Sony is taking away the magic”—which I kinda get. Remember when gaming felt magical? Well, now it feels like Sony’s making us pay for just being fans. She even said they’re heating up the water like a slow-cooking frog. Weird metaphor, but kinda gets the point across, right? Sony even hiked some product prices back in April. Talk about timing.

The way Sony’s been throwing around these price hikes, you’d think they’re a king on a throne no one can touch. According to Melcherts, they do whatever they want now, without sweating over competition or what we consumers think. I don’t know if digital distribution was supposed to make stuff cheaper, but yeah, that dream didn’t come true inside Sony’s walled garden.

So, what’s the endgame here? The ‘Fair PlayStation’ crew claims Sony’s pulling in double profits on digital sales and acting like the big boss with 80% of the Dutch console market. They’ve built these barriers around their digital store and aren’t inviting others to play. And guess what? This behavior isn’t just a drag for gamers, but for developers and publishers too.

First court showdown is sometime in 2025. Let’s see if the Dutch judges decide to shake things up and make Sony share the digital playground. Or maybe not. We’ll see.

Oh, and before I forget, if you want to keep tabs on all this drama, check out Tom’s Hardware on Google News. They’ve got the scoop, so hit that follow button.