Sony's market practices

That this House notes with concern Sony's announcement that, from January 2028, it will cease production of physical discs for all new PlayStation games, following reports that the PlayStation 6 will be released without a disc drive; further notes that this move, taken alongside the closure of the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita online stores, will compel consumers who wish to purchase new titles to do so exclusively through the PlayStation Store or digital retail partners; is alarmed that this shift removes consumers' ability to resell, lend, or retain permanent ownership of purchased games, entrenching Sony's control over game distribution, pricing, and platform access; is concerned that a single company acting as the sole digital gatekeeper for its console ecosystem raises serious questions about market dominance, consumer lock-in, and the potential for anti-competitive pricing and terms once physical alternatives are eliminated; further notes similar concerns have previously been raised regarding closed app store models on mobile platforms; and calls on the Government to refer Sony's PlayStation Store practices and the closure of physical distribution channels to the Competition and Markets Authority for investigation into whether this constitutes an abuse of a dominant market position and whether it risks harming consumer choice, competition, and the long-standing principle of game ownership.