PS5: Sony may have to compensate 12 million players for abusing its dominant market position.

Sony is facing a landmark legal challenge in the United Kingdom that could compel the company to refund millions of PlayStation players. The allegation is that the brand has locked down its ecosystem in order to inflate digital prices artificially.

A major claim is now putting Sony’s UK business under intense pressure. The Japanese group is defending itself against proceedings that could shake key pillars of how it makes money. At the heart of the case is a large-scale collective action accusing the company of abusing a dominant position in the video games market: Sony is said to have used the shift towards all-digital purchasing to shut down competition and lock its market.

With the arrival of the PlayStation 5-especially the model without a disc drive-game purchasing has moved heavily towards the PlayStation Store. The claimants argue that Sony operates a “closed ecosystem” there. By blocking any competing platforms on its consoles, Sony is alleged to have turned its users into a “captive class”, unable to shop around.

The complaint centres on Sony’s standard 30% commission on each digital transaction, whether it is a full game or additional content. The claim argues this added cost is excessive and unfair, and that it is ultimately passed directly on to players, because there is no competitive pressure to pull prices down.

12.2 million UK players could be covered by the opt-out claim

The collective action is being led by consumer campaigner Alex Neill and operates on an opt-out basis. In practical terms, anyone in the UK who has bought a digital PlayStation game in the past ten years would be entitled to compensation if the case succeeds, unless they actively choose to remove themselves from the claim. The group is estimated at 12.2 million people, all of whom can explicitly opt out.

If Sony were to lose, the sums could be substantial. Each affected user could be entitled to roughly £162 (about €195). Overall, the total potential award could reach £2 billion.

It is also noted that the same tribunal recently found against Apple over comparable conduct linked to the App Store-a precedent that may not bode well for Sony’s position.

Beyond any payout, the case could have wider consequences for how digital storefronts on consoles are run. If the court takes a tougher view of closed marketplaces, it may strengthen arguments for greater choice in where players buy games and add-ons, and could encourage more scrutiny of platform fees across the wider games industry.

Sony PlayStation says its closed ecosystem is justified

Sony, for its part, maintains that its distribution approach is legitimate and driven by technical and commercial realities. First, it argues that keeping full control of its online shop is necessary to protect user security and data privacy. Sony says that allowing third-party stores would create serious security vulnerabilities.

Second, the company points to a cross-subsidy strategy: it spends billions developing cutting-edge hardware, and often sells consoles on very slim margins-or even at a loss-at launch. In this framing, the 30% commission helps offset those huge costs and keep the wider ecosystem sustainable.

For players following the case, the opt-out setup means most people do not need to take any action to be included; however, those who do not want to be represented can choose to remove themselves. The outcome will depend on whether the court accepts the argument that the PlayStation Store’s structure and fee level amount to an abuse of dominance.

The trial is scheduled to last ten weeks and is due to begin on 10 March.