Core Issues of the PlayStation Store Lawsuit
March 2026: class action hearing against Sony began at the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) -- filed on behalf of 12.2 million UK PlayStation users; claim approximately 2 billion GBP (~$2.5B). Lead counsel Robert Palmer KC: Sony created a structure enabling direct retail price setting for digital games without competition, extracting monopolistic profits from that structure. Sony defense: its platform model follows industry standards; the ecosystem was built with billions of dollars in investment over many years. The monopoly claim: PlayStation Store is the exclusive distribution channel for PlayStation digital games in the UK; Sony charges 30% commission; there are no alternatives for reaching PlayStation console owners; therefore Sony can set commission rates without competitive constraint. UK 2025 Apple ruling context: first case under the opt-out class action system where a dispute against a big tech company succeeded on the merits -- attracting funding and investors for future platform litigation. The PlayStation case is the third class action against a major tech company to enter full trial in the UK after the Apple ruling. The structural question: when a platform controls payment, distribution, and discoverability simultaneously through vertical integration, at what point does that integration constitute an abuse of market dominance?
