Sony's disc-free PS5 strategy sparks $457M lawsuit, weakens antitrust defense

Summary

Sony is facing a $457 million lawsuit in the Netherlands over its plan to phase out physical PlayStation 5 discs by 2028, with a consumer group arguing that the move will inflate game prices due to the 30% PlayStation Store commission. Critics, including marketing chair Andrew Ching, suggest that eliminating physical discs undermines Sony's previous antitrust defense, which relied on the existence of a competitive resale market.