Sony Fined €13.5 Million for Restricting Third-Party PS4 Controllers

Sony Fined €13.5 Million for Restricting Third-Party PS4 Controllers

Sony faces a 13.5 million EUR fine from France's antitrust regulator, Autorité de la Concurrence, for limiting third-party PlayStation 4 controllers. This ruling follows a complaint from French controller manufacturer Subsonic. The investigation found that Sony's actions since November 2015 led to frequent disconnections of third-party controllers during system updates.

Additionally, the regulator criticized Sony for making it difficult for these manufacturers to join its licensing program, accusing Sony of withholding necessary information. This behavior not only damaged the brand image of third-party manufacturers but also hindered their market expansion and potentially led to their market exclusion.

This penalty highlights the increasing regulatory focus on tech companies for anti-competitive practices. The fine imposed on Sony serves as a reminder of the need for fair competition in the technology and gaming industries.

Source: GamesIndustry.biz