A £2 billion opt-out collective action against Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Limited and related entities is scheduled to proceed to trial before the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) on 10 March 2026. The proceedings concern allegations that millions of UK PlayStation users were overcharged for digital games and in-game content purchased via the PlayStation Store.
The claim was brought under section 47B of the Competition Act 1998 by Alex Neill Class Representative Limited against Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Limited, Sony Interactive Entertainment Network Europe Limited and Sony Interactive Entertainment UK Limited. It combines standalone claims for alleged breaches of statutory duty, namely infringement of the Chapter II prohibition and/or Article 102 TFEU.
The claimant alleges that Sony operates a “closed ecosystem” for digital PlayStation content, preventing alternative download systems and imposing a 30 per cent commission on digital sales. According to the claim, this structure enables Sony to charge excessive and unfair prices, with the commission ultimately passed on to consumers. The proposed class covers approximately 12.2 million UK users who purchased digital PlayStation games or in-game content over a period of around ten years. Estimated damages, including interest, amount to nearly £2 billion, with average compensation said to be around £162 per user.
Sony denies the allegations. It argues that its distribution model is justified, including on grounds of security and privacy, and that commissions on digital sales form part of a broader commercial strategy. The company maintains that it invests heavily in hardware, often selling consoles at relatively low margins, and that digital revenues contribute to sustaining the PlayStation ecosystem.
The case has progressed through multiple case management conferences, a contested Collective Proceedings Order hearing in June 2023, a further hearing on funding in October 2023, and judgment granting certification in November 2023 ([2023] CAT 73), followed by the formal making of the Collective Proceedings Order in January 2024. Subsequent directions have addressed disclosure and the timetable to trial, with a pre-trial review held in February 2026.
The trial, listed for ten weeks including an initial reading week, represents one of the most significant UK collective proceedings concerning digital platform business models. Its outcome may further shape the application of abuse of dominance principles to closed digital ecosystems and commission-based distribution structures.