The big picture: Two Mexican lawmakers have filed an antitrust complaint against Sony over the company's controversial plan to stop releasing physical video game discs by January 2028. Sony announced the move last month, citing shifting consumer preferences driven by faster broadband speeds, which have made digital downloads the preferred option for many gamers.
Federal Representative Iraís Reyes, often referred to by Mexican media as the "gamer congresswoman," and Senator Luis Donaldo Colosio submitted their complaint to the country's antitrust regulator, COFECE, earlier this week. They argue that Sony's planned shift to digital-only sales violates Mexico's Federal Economic Competition Law.
According to Reyes and Colosio, Sony's move would give the company monopolistic control over PS5 game distribution through the PlayStation Store, potentially driving up game prices, reducing competition, and damaging Mexico's video game distribution ecosystem by shutting out traditional retailers, harming consumers, and limiting their choices.
They added that phasing out physical discs entirely would also kill the used games market – a thriving business in Mexico and many other countries. Another key issue raised in the complaint is the erosion of software ownership, with the lawmakers arguing that digital downloads force consumers to purchase restricted licenses rather than allowing them to own the actual software.
The lawmakers also argue that without a physical retail channel, developers, publishers, and studios would become entirely dependent on Sony's distribution network, allowing the company to charge excessively high platform commissions and impose unfair terms and conditions. Reyes and Colosio believe that an all-digital future would disproportionately affect independent developers.
Reyes gained popularity among Mexican gamers after successfully campaigning for the rollback of an 8% IEPS "sin" tax on video games classified as "violent." IEPS is a Mexican federal indirect excise tax typically applied to products considered harmful to health or the environment, including tobacco, alcohol, sugary drinks, high-calorie foods, fossil fuels, and pesticides.
Mexico isn't the only country where lawmakers, antitrust regulators, and consumer advocacy groups are pushing back against Sony. Dutch consumer organization SMC filed a $457 million lawsuit against the company earlier this year, while politicians and consumer rights groups in Brazil, France, and the Netherlands are also challenging the move.
The EU, however, has effectively conceded the matter, stating that it cannot legally prevent Sony from phasing out physical game discs. Speaking to reporters in Strasbourg last month, Michael McGrath, the EU Commissioner for Consumer Protection, acknowledged the bloc's inability to intervene, citing commercial and contractual freedoms.