The backlash over PlayStation’s all-digital future just moved out of the reply sections and into court.
Stop Killing Games and preservation watchdog DoesItPlay? announced Monday they are officially backing the Fair PlayStation lawsuit in the Netherlands, a collective action accusing Sony of illegally controlling digital game sales through the PlayStation Store.
And the timing couldn’t be worse for Sony.
Sony is ending physical disc production for new PlayStation games in January 2028, and the group behind the lawsuit argues that move only strengthens its case that PlayStation owners are being locked into Sony’s digital store.
Stop Killing Games Backs The Lawsuit Against Sony
The announcement came Monday in a video bluntly titled “It’s time to sue Sony, join us,” posted to X and YouTube.
In the video, Stop Killing Games and DoesItPlay? threw their support behind Stichting Massaschade & Consument, the Dutch consumer foundation that has been building its case against Sony since 2024.
At the center of the lawsuit is what SKG calls Sony’s “total control of PlayStation Store pricing.”
The endorsement matters for more than publicity. Under Dutch collective action law, SM&C has to convince the court it actually represents the interests of gamers before the case can move forward on their behalf.
SKG’s international backing gives the foundation another argument that gamers are genuinely behind the action, and both groups are now urging Dutch PlayStation owners to sign on directly.
The Lawsuit Says Sony Is Charging A “Sony Tax”
The argument behind the lawsuit is pretty straightforward: if you own a PlayStation and want to buy a digital game, Sony’s PlayStation Store is your only option.
There are no competing digital storefronts on the console, no outside retailers selling downloadable PlayStation games, and no way to shop around for a better price.
According to SM&C, that closed system means digital PlayStation games cost on average up to 47% more than they should, a markup the campaign has branded the “Sony Tax.”
The lawsuit was formally launched in early 2025 and reportedly seeks around €435 million in damages for roughly 1.7 million Dutch PS4 and PS5 owners.
The case covers anyone who made at least one PlayStation Store purchase since November 29, 2013.
That’s the day the PS4 launched in Europe.
A first hearing reportedly took place at the end of June, focusing on jurisdiction and whether the foundation has standing to represent the group.
And the Netherlands isn’t the only place Sony is facing this fight. Per Kotaku, PlayStation is now facing anti-competitive lawsuits in five different countries, including the “PlayStation You Owe Us” case in the UK.
Sony Ending Discs Could Make The Case Even Stronger
This is where Sony’s January 2028 decision becomes a much bigger problem.
When SM&C started building the case in 2024, physical discs still gave PlayStation owners another option. Games could be bought from competing retailers, purchased used, borrowed, traded, or picked up on sale outside Sony’s own store.
Come January 2028, that alternative starts disappearing for new releases.
SM&C argues the second-hand market disappears with it, leaving PlayStation owners increasingly dependent on Sony’s store and, in the campaign video’s words, “you won’t have any choice at all.”
The foundation responded to Sony’s disc announcement within weeks, arguing the move gives the company even greater control over the price and conditions attached to every new PlayStation game sold inside its ecosystem.
In other words, what started as a case about digital pricing now has a much bigger argument: Sony is preparing to remove the last major alternative to its own store.
The financial incentive isn’t hard to see, either. As Bloomberg’s reporting laid out, retailers take roughly 30% of a physical sale while digital lets Sony keep all of it, and the company is reportedly convinced fans will simply accept an all-digital future.
A petition demanding Sony reverse the decision has reportedly cleared 360,000 signatures, suggesting plenty of PlayStation owners aren’t ready to go along with it.
Stop Killing Games Is Taking The Fight To Court
The lawsuit also marks a shift for Stop Killing Games.
The movement built its name fighting publishers that make purchased games unplayable after shutting down servers, and its EU citizens’ initiative collected well over a million signatures.
That effort hit a wall in June when the European Commission ruled against it, while an EU commissioner has separately said Brussels can’t stop Sony from ending physical games.
So if regulators aren’t going to stop companies from pushing gaming further toward closed digital ecosystems, the courts may be the next battleground.
And SKG is now openly throwing its weight behind that approach.
Sony Has Stayed Silent — Now It Has A Lawsuit To Deal With
Sony’s strategy since July 1 has basically been silence.
It watched its own return post get buried under 54,000 replies. It watched the Spider-Man: Brand New Day countdown and the Marvel’s Wolverine story trailer turn into arguments over physical discs.
And Sony said nothing, apparently betting the backlash would eventually burn itself out before 2028.
Parts of the industry have shrugged along with it. Take-Two’s Strauss Zelnick asked who cares if you download digitally while GTA 6 ships as a code in a box.
But angry replies disappear down a timeline. Petitions can be ignored.
A lawsuit seeking around €435 million on behalf of roughly 1.7 million PlayStation owners is a little harder to scroll past.
Sony may have been willing to wait out the backlash. Now the backlash has a court date.
