Mexico lawmakers file antitrust complaint against Sony over end of physical games

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Lawmakers in Mexico are set to file an anti-trust complaint against Sony due to the company’s controversial decision to stop printing physical games starting January 2028.

As reported by LevelUp , Mexico’s Federal Representative Iraís Reyes and Senator Luis Donaldo Colosio will submit a complaint to the country’s National Antitrust Commission, requesting a formal investigation into Sony for alleged “anti-competitive practices” in the games industry.

More specifically, Reyes and Colosio argue that this could create a “relative monopolistic practice” at odds with Mexico’s Federal Economic Competition Law by driving up costs, cutting the competition, and destroying the games market’s infrastructure.

Their complaint seeks answers as to whether or not Sony’s decision to go fully digital will negatively impact consumers and other retailers by funneling purchases directly through its own online platform, rather than allowing physical editions to be sold at other businesses.

Reyes, who has become affectionately known as Mexico's resident ‘gamer representative,’ expressed concerns about the future game ownership, arguing that “if discs disappear, anyone who owns a PlayStation will no longer be able to choose where to buy their games and will be forced to purchase them exclusively through Sony’s store.”

“Sony would become both the referee and the player within its own ecosystem, and we know what can happen when a single company controls every part of the market,” he added.

Colosio also brought up worries about the broader gaming market, saying that the second-hand and game trading ecosystems could “disappear” due to Sony’s latest business move.

“Consumers would stop truly owning their video games. With digital distribution, you’re no longer buying a game in the traditional sense — you’re purchasing a license, which means access to the content depends entirely on the conditions established by the company,” he said.

Mexico isn’t the only country taking action against Sony’s digital-only plans; Dutch consumer organization Stichting Massaschade & Consument notably filed a $457 million lawsuit against Sony back in February over allegations of clients being charged artificially high prices on the PlayStation store, a case they say now carries even more weight due to the company’s decision to phase out physical game discs.

However, the EU is of the opinion that nothing can really be done to stop it from happening. Michael McGrath, the European Commissioner for consumer protection, told the Irish Mirror that the EU is ultimately unable to take action against it, leaving the fate of physical PlayStation games solely in Sony's hands.

"It does come down to commercial and contractual freedoms, and companies are free to offer games and services in the manner that they see fit, provided that consumer rights are fully protected in line with national and EU law,” he said.

Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze .