Sony was fined 13.5 million Euros for unfair competition in the PS4 controller market in France. The Autorité de la Concurrence accused the company of abusing its dominance.
French antitrust regulator Autorité de la Concurrenceaccused Sony of unfair competition in the PS4 controller market and fined the company 13.5 million Euros (approximately $14.8 million). sonyespecially third party PS4 controllers It is accused of manipulating the market in its production and abusing its dominant position.
Competition Penalty on Sony in France in PS4 Market
According to Competition Policy International and Pymnts, the Autorité de la Concurrence announced that it has become very difficult for other controller manufacturers to compete due to the technical measures taken by Sony. Officially licensed by Sony DualShock 4 and other controllers PS4 He stated that they are the only products that work uninterruptedly, while other brands encounter problems such as disconnection.
Additionally, the Autorité de la Concurrence stated that Sony knowingly failed to disclose to third-party manufacturers the rules regarding licensing controllers for the platform, which was criticized for a lack of transparency. It was emphasized that Sony’s behavior means applying the criteria arbitrarily, even though access to the program is the only way to prevent disconnections.
This situation also serves as an important warning for other companies operating in the game consoles and accessories market. This penalty by Sony provides an opportunity for other companies in the industry to review their licensing and competition policies. It also emphasizes the importance of a fair market structure that will enable consumers to encounter more options in terms of variety and competitive prices.
The situation facing Sony also demonstrates the increasing intervention of regulatory authorities in matters of dominance and competition in digital markets. All eyes will now be on how Sony will respond to this situation and what changes it will make in its future strategies.