Sony is being sued over controversial decision to kill physical PlayStation discs
Sony's decision to kill physical game production for PlayStation consoles after January 2028 has received another significant legal challenge, with two Mexican lawmakers filing an antitrust complaint against the gaming giant in a bid to reverse the move.
It's not the first lawsuit to emerge following the controversial change, as a class action suit has been filed in the Netherlands after claims that the digital-only future will make things more expensive, but increased political pressure could make Sony think twice about going ahead.
As reported by TechSpot, the complain was brought forward by Senator Luis Donaldo Colosio and Federal Representative Iraís Reyes, the latter of whom has earned a reputation among gamers so many will be delighted to see her campaigning for their cause once again.
Mexican lawmakers file antitrust complaint against Sony
Filed to COFECE, Mexico's antitrust regulator, the lawmakers have argued that the decision to eliminate physical options for PlayStation gamers violates the national's Federal Economic Competition Law.
Reyes has a history of fighting against policies that negatively impact gamers, having successfully campaigned for the rollback of Mexico's IEPS 'sin' tax being applied to violent video games, which would have increased the price of titles like GTA 6 by 8% — a sizeable cost considering the game's higher price.
Whether she's able to be successful again here remains to be seen, as Sony has already started retraining staff at its primary disc production factory, and recently added a warning regarding the end of physical games to all new PlayStation 5 console sales.
What does the complaint argue?
Key to the argument from Reyes and Colosio is the proposition that Sony's monolithic control over the digital market would cause prices to increase, alongside eliminating cheaper options for gamers in Mexico and other countries.
This is something that many pointed out in the immediate aftermath of Sony's announcement, as there is little incentive to offer lower prices if competition from physical retailers or the used market simply doesn't exist.
Most games right now are considerably more expensive to buy through the official PlayStation digital store than to pick up physically, with a disparity of up to $50 in many cases for games older than a couple of years.
The lawmakers have also highlighted the potentially harmful impact this could have on developers, studios, and publishers, as they would have no way to avoid increased platform commissions if Sony was to implement them, alongside potentially unfair terms of conditions through the storefront.