Choose a store
Give players meaningful, safe choice over where they buy digital games.
A European consumer-rights campaign
You bought it.
You should own it.
As games become digital-only, players need real choice, lasting access and fair rules for the stores built into their consoles.
For players · Developers · Policymakers · Consumer groups
✦Open
marketplace
marketplace
Your libraryYour choiceYour console
The issue
Your console.
Their gate.
Console makers control the store, payments, technical access and the player’s library. That gatekeeper position matters even more when physical distribution disappears.
01
One platform decides which stores and payment options reach the device.
02
Developers depend on a single route to their customers.
03
Players can lose practical control over a library they paid for.
The European direction
Digital markets can
work for users.
The EU’s Digital Markets Act shows a clear principle: when platforms control a gateway, fairness, contestability and interoperability deserve public attention.
Choose a payment method
Let people and developers benefit from fair payment options.
Keep access
Make long-term access and clear terms the baseline for digital purchases.
Switch without losing out
Build practical ways to carry identity, saves and licences forward.
What we ask for
Simple rights
for a digital future.
This is not a call to weaken security or attack companies. It is a call for clear, proportionate consumer protections.
Store choice
Players should be able to use competing, trusted stores on hardware they own.
Fair access
Developers need fair routes to reach players without unnecessary platform barriers.
Lasting access
Digital purchases need transparent terms, workable preservation and meaningful access over time.
Interoperability
Competition should be possible where platform-controlled technical interfaces create lock-in.
Why now
Physical is ending.
Rights must not.
Physical discs end
- Sony says new PlayStation releases will no longer be produced on disc
- Digital access becomes the default
One purchase, one library
- No competing retail channel
- No simple resale or lending
- Few ways to move platforms
A familiar question
- Who controls access?
- Can users switch?
- Can businesses compete?
Open, not unsafe
- Security standards can remain strong
- Hardware makers can still innovate
- User choice should grow
Sony’s July 2026 announcement applies to new games releasing on PlayStation consoles from January 2028. Read the announcement ↗
A European conversation
Apply the lessons
of the DMA.
1. Recognise
The gatekeeper role
Examine how console ecosystems control access between developers and players.
2. Protect
Consumer choice
Set clear expectations for stores, payments, data and ongoing access.
3. Enable
Fair competition
Create pathways for trusted alternatives and practical interoperability.
4. Review
What works
Measure outcomes for security, players, developers and innovation.
The DMA currently imposes obligations only on services formally designated as gatekeepers. Open Console Initiative calls for policymakers to examine how its principles could inform console markets. About the Digital Markets Act ↗
Questions, answered
Firm on rights.
Practical on delivery.
We advocate for proportionate rules that respect security, creators and the technical realities of consoles.
What changes in January 2028?+
Sony has announced that production of physical discs for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will end from January 2028. That makes a strong framework for digital access and choice more urgent.
What does “gatekeeper” mean here?+
It describes the practical control a platform can have over access between businesses and users. It is not a legal designation for console makers under the DMA; that designation is made by the European Commission for specific core platform services.
Would opening consoles make them less secure?+
Not necessarily. Clear technical standards, trusted marketplace requirements and user permissions can protect security while allowing meaningful choice.
Can publishers still earn money?+
Yes. Publishers can retain control over pricing, releases and intellectual property. Competition can create more routes to reach players.
Is this asking for a copy of the DMA?+
No. The DMA offers useful principles—fairness, contestability and interoperability. Any approach to consoles should be evidence-led and proportionate to the market.
Make your voice count
Digital games.
Real rights.
Help bring the case for player choice and lasting access to consumer organisations and European policymakers.
Campaign actions are coming soon.
About the initiative
Independent.
Pro-consumer.
Open Console Initiative is an independent campaign for consumer rights, competition and meaningful digital ownership in console gaming.
We are not against any company or platform. We want hardware makers to compete through better products and services, while players retain a fair say in where—and how—they buy their games.
Get in touch →