Sony is clearly under fire from all sides following its announcement regarding the discontinuation of physical discs on its consoles starting in January 2028. In addition to harsh criticism on social media, the Japanese manufacturer is also facing a major lawsuit.

The Stichting Massaschade & Consument (SMC), a Dutch nonprofit foundation, is seeking 400 million euros in damages from the Japanese company due to what it deems excessive prices on the PlayStation Store. The store is also being criticized for its monopoly on the digital games market. The organization condemns what it calls « the Sony tax », which refers to the 30% commission the company charges on every sale made through its store.

According to SMC (which represents 1.7 million Dutch gamers), the phase-out of physical discs will eliminate the last remaining way to purchase PlayStation games at more competitive prices. Starting in January 2028, the manufacturer could have a monopoly on the sale and pricing of titles available on its consoles.

As if that wasn’t enough, Mexican lawmakers are set to file an antitrust complaint for similar reasons. They, too, believe that Sony will have a monopoly on sales through its PlayStation Store once physical media is definitively phased out. It remains to be seen whether these legal actions will be successful. For its part, the European Union has declared itself without jurisdiction to compel Sony or any other publisher to release their titles on disc.