On July 1, 2026, Sony announced that physical disc production for all new PlayStation games ends in January 2028. Every future title — digital only, sold exclusively through the PlayStation Store or as retail download codes. Days later, Dutch nonprofit Stichting Massaschade & Consument (Mass Damage & Consumer Foundation) escalated its existing Fair PlayStation class-action, citing the announcement as Exhibit A in a case the organization has been building since 2013: Sony is constructing a closed pricing monopoly, one firmware update at a time. Europe Restricts major tech platforms from certain data handling, adding broader legislative context to how regulators are increasingly scrutinizing closed digital ecosystems.
One Store. One Price. No Alternative.
The foundation’s core argument is straightforward — when physical alternatives vanish, so does any meaningful competition on price.
The lawsuit centers on what it calls the “Sony tax” — a 30% commission on every PlayStation Store transaction that allegedly inflates game prices across the board. If you’re wondering whether you’re paying too much for digital content, this kind of closed-store markup is exactly why. Physical discs were the pressure valve: the GameStop run, the borrowed copy from a friend, the second-hand market. That valve shuts permanently in 2028.
“No discs means no second-hand market and no alternative to the PlayStation Store, so from 2028, Sony alone decides what a game costs and even how long you are allowed to use it,” said foundation chair Lucia Melcherts, as reported by Screen Rant.
Here is where the case currently stands:
- The foundation seeks more than €400 million (roughly $457 million) for approximately 1.7 million Dutch PlayStation users
- Damages are calculated from November 29, 2013 — when Sony’s current EU store terms took effect, according to TechTimes
- Initial hearings have already been held in Dutch courts
- Sony’s 2028 disc announcement is now cited as fresh supporting evidence of monopolistic intent
- A successful outcome would award consumer compensation, but forcing structural changes to Sony’s model would require additional regulation
Sony’s defense: consumers prefer digital. The company called the shift a “natural direction” driven by demand, according to CNBC. Some analysts add cost savings and logistics as legitimate reasons. But the foundation’s counter cuts clean — consumer preference is beside the point when there is no meaningful alternative left to choose.
This fight is not contained to the Netherlands. A separate £2 billion (approximately $2.6 billion) UK competition lawsuit targets similar PlayStation Store practices, while a US class-action settlement received preliminary approval earlier this year, according to Screen Rant. Together, they form a multi-jurisdictional challenge that Sony cannot simply wait out — and one that fits a broader pattern of tech scandals where major platforms have exploited their market position at consumers’ expense.
“A price cannot be fair when the buyer is left with no ownership and no alternative.” — Lucia Melcherts, Stichting Massaschade & Consument
The PS6 Problem Nobody Is Officially Talking About
With physical media disappearing before the next console even launches, the PS6’s design is already being decided by default.
With no new discs after early 2028, the next PlayStation — widely anticipated as the PS6 — will almost certainly ship without a disc drive as standard. Sony has not confirmed the design, but the trajectory speaks for itself. The PS5 Slim relegated the disc drive to a USB add-on. The PS5 Pro followed the same approach. GTA VI’s physical edition ships with a download code inside the box — like buying a vinyl sleeve containing a Spotify link and nothing else.
If the Dutch lawsuit succeeds, it could pressure Sony to open PlayStation to third-party digital sellers, reduce its commission, or extend stronger ownership rights to digital buyers. If Sony prevails, every platform owner across console, mobile, and PC takes careful notes and accelerates accordingly. This is the Apple App Store antitrust fight, relocated to your living room.
Starting in 2028, PlayStation users will not own their video games — they will license them. Sony sets the price, Sony sets the terms, and Sony decides when access ends. The Dutch courts may be the only institution currently standing between players and that reality.
