Um, so here’s the thing. Dutch PlayStation gamers are kinda ticked off. Like, really upset—about this thing they’re calling the ‘Sony tax’ or something. They’ve decided to lawyer up and go after Sony, claiming the company’s been playing monopoly with the digital games. Yeah, I know, sounds wild. Apparently, Sony’s been charging, what, like 47% more for digital games compared to the physical ones? That’s what the ‘Fair PlayStation’ folks are saying. I couldn’t make this up.
Anyway, Dutch research-types say Sony’s been flexing its market muscles for over a decade. And it gets messier ’cause they’re blocking other app stores. Fun times. Long story short, they think about 1.7 million Dutch folks are overpaying for digital games. Total damage? Around €435 million since 2013. Ouch, right?
No matter where you’re parked in the world, getting a shiny new PlayStation 5 game will put a dent in your wallet. Over in the U.S., they start at $69.99. Sony’s got this sweet setup where they can jack up digital prices. Meanwhile, stores selling physical games are slashing prices to get in on some of the action—like a clearance sale gone wild. Digital-only consoles are kinda ruining the deal-hunting, though. Just saying.
Now, there’s this person, Lucia Melcherts. She’s with the ‘Fair PlayStation’ protest group, shouting from the rooftops that Sony’s reaching into gamers’ pockets without giving double the fun. It’s like buying a soda at the movies and finding out it costs more than your ticket. Makes zero sense. Oh, and Sony, adding to their power move, cranked up their product prices just last April. Seriously, where’s the chill?
Lucia claims this ‘Sony tax’ thing is ’cause they can swing without a care about competition, developers, or even us, the players. Digital was supposed to make things cheaper, right? But nah, they blocked out other stores. You’d expect them to have a welcome mat or something. Nope.
So, these folks are saying Sony’s rolling in it, owning 80% of the Dutch console stage, and keeping the digital fort locked up. Not cool for developers and publishers, either. First big courtroom showdown? Set for later in 2025. Fingers crossed, the Dutch claimers want the courts to tell Sony to let others sell digital PlayStation stuff. We’ll see how it shakes out.
