Sony Will Stop Making PS5 Discs by 2028, Now It's Being Sued in 5 Countries

Sony is facing mounting legal pressure over the future of the PlayStation ecosystem, with anti-competition lawsuits and regulatory complaints now spanning five countries.

The legal challenges argue that Sony's increasingly digital-first strategy limits consumer choice, inflates game prices, and strengthens its control over PlayStation game sales.

This controversy has intensified following Sony's recent decision to end physical game disc production by 2028, a move critics say could eliminate one of the last competitive alternatives to buying games through the PlayStation Store.

Why Is Sony Being Sued?

At the heart of the lawsuits is a simple argument: PlayStation owners have very few options outside Sony's own digital storefront.

The legal challenges claim Sony has gradually tightened its grip on digital game sales, beginning in 2019, when it stopped allowing retailers to sell digital download codes for PlayStation games. Since then, players wanting to buy digital titles have largely been forced to purchase them directly from the PlayStation Store.

Plaintiffs argue this gives Sony the power to maintain its standard 30% commission while limiting price competition from retailers and the second-hand market.

Sony, however, maintains that its business practices are lawful and that it competes in the broader gaming market alongside Xbox, Nintendo, PC storefronts, and other platforms.

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