PlayStation 5 console manufacturer Sony has found itself under fire due to a class-action lawsuit that involves its video game brand. In recent years, various gaming manufacturers such as Nintendo, Microsoft, and a number of others have been dealing with lawsuits at one time or another. More often than not, these class-action lawsuits tend to be tied back in with faulty hardware. With Nintendo and Microsoft, specifically, this has been seen with thumbstick “drifting” on both Switch and Xbox consoles, which has led to quite a bit of controversy. When it comes to Sony’s new class-action lawsuit that it’s dealing with, though, it involves the company’s digital storefront that is seen across PS5 and PS4.ย
Videos by ComicBook.com
In a report stemming from Sky News, this lawsuit aimed at PlayStation is of the class-action variety and stems from the UK. Specifically, the lawsuit in question claims that Sony is “ripping people off” by charging a 30% commission on every game that is sold through the PlayStation Store. Alex Neill, who is the person that introduced these allegations, says that PlayStation owners have been overcharged for their purchases on the digital marketplace since 2016 by a total of nearly $6 billion. In turn, Neill believes that anyone who has purchased games, DLC, or other various items through the PlayStation Store since August 2016 are entitled to anywhere from roughly $75 to $660 in damages.
Obviously, Sony taking a cut from digital sales on the PlayStation Store isn’t unlike practices that are made on Steam, the Microsoft Store, and other various platforms. Still, it seems like Neill and the collective behind her are asserting that without these commission costs in the first place, game prices on the PS Store would be much lower as a result.ย
“The game is up for Sony PlayStation,” Neill told Sky News. “With this legal action I am standing up for the millions of UK people who have been unwittingly overcharged. We believe Sony has abused its position and ripped off its customers. […] The actions of Sony is costing millions of people who can’t afford it, particularly when we’re in the midst of a cost of living crisis and the consumer purse is being squeezed like never before.”
At this point in time, it remains to be seen what happens with this lawsuit in the long term. Lawsuits like this are always worth keeping an eye on, but in all likelihood, we won’t hear anything else about this matter for quite some time. If there are any updates in the future, though, we’ll be sure to keep you in the loop here on ComicBook.com.ย
[H/T VGC]
