List of references on Sony websites to players "owning" their digital games
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Sony's defense in a lawsuit argues that reasonable consumers know they don't own digital games.
Four California plaintiffs sued Sony on June 18, 2026, alleging the PlayStation Store's "Buy Now" and "Confirm Purchase" buttons mislead consumers into believing they own digital games, when they only receive a revocable license. The complaint cites California's digital-goods transparency law. Sony moved to compel arbitration on August 21, arguing that reasonable consumers would not be misled, noting that multiple users can purchase the same game. A hearing is set for October 1, 2026. Sony also ended physical disc production for new PlayStation games starting January 2028.
What commenters are saying
Commenters largely mocked Sony's legal argument that because multiple people can buy the same digital game, no buyer could reasonably think they owned it. They drew analogies to buying physical books or DVDs, where each buyer owns a distinct copy without exclusive intellectual property rights. Some argued the real issue is that digital purchases are a worse product (no resale, no lending, tied to platform availability) sold at the same price as physical media. A few noted that Nintendo's 3DS eShop still allows offline play despite the store closing.