A $2.7 billion dollar class action lawsuit against Sony is currently underway in the UK.

The issue at hand? Lawyers for the plaintiff are arguing that Sony is taking advantage of its "monopoly position" by forcing gamers to buy digital games solely through its PlayStation Store. The suit also claims Sony forced gamers to pay 'unfair download fees'.

The case went to London's Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) this week on behalf of 12 million PlayStation users in the UK.

The class action against Sony addresses similar issues that companies like Apple have experienced in the U.S., UK, and EU. Big tech companies like Google, Sony, and Apple have been accused of forcing developers and users alike to distribute and purchase content through their official digital stores. This allows these companies to set content rules and, crucially, prices. This can also prevent third parties from entering the market to compete.

"Sony can and does set the retail prices … without facing ​any retail competition for ​digital content," said lawyer Robert Palmer, who is representing the leading plaintiff Alex Neill in the lawsuit. "It ⁠allows [Sony] to obtain monopoly profits from digital distribution."

According to the lawsuit, Sony's monopoly over digital distribution for the PlayStation consoles has resulted in digital downloads costing more than physical hard copies of the games at times.

Sony's defense has been that allowing third parties to sell PlayStation content would bring on security and privacy risks for its users. The company also claims that the commission it makes from PlayStation Store sales covers the costs of its PlayStation consoles. Sony says PlayStation 5 prices, for example, result in low profit margins for the company.

If the lawsuit is successful, any consumer who purchased a PlayStation game or in-game content in the PlayStation Store over the last 10 years, up until last month, could be eligible for compensation. The legal team believes that there could be more than 12 million eligible users, each of whom would receive more than $200 in compensation.

In the EU, regulations have forced Apple to allow iOS app distribution through third-party app stores. In the UK, Apple is currently undergoing a process to "improve fairness" in its stores, but have not yet had to go the route of allowing third-party app stores.

CAT has previously ruled against Apple in a similar suit over the App Store's developer commissions, which Apple is currently looking to appeal.

In addition, last month, CAT paved the way for another such case against PC gaming platform Steam to proceed as well.

SAVE $600: As of March 11, get the Bluetti Elite 400 portable power station for $1,298.98, down from its usual price of $1,899. That's a discount of 32% and the lowest price we've seen.

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Bluetti Elite 400 portable power station

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Springtime is just around the corner. That means warmer weather and the potential for some seriously damaging storms in certain areas. Where there are storms, there are power outages. Don't be caught unaware this year when your power goes out. Grab a portable power station to keep you afloat when the electricity is out, or at the very least to keep as a backup for other purposes. In fact, you can snag a great option right now for the lowest price we've seen.

As of March 11, get the Bluetti Elite 400 portable power station for $1,298.98, down from its usual price of $1,899. That's $600 off and a discount of 32%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

This absolute unit of a portable power station can go where you go, though it does weigh 80 pounds. It has an attached telescopic handle to make moving it around easier, so you can wheel it around to your closet or garage for safekeeping.

It boasts 3840Wh of power, with a 2600W output (3900W surge power), so it's got you covered if your power is out for a while. It can handle juicing up your phone and laptop, your fridge, even other small appliances all at once, so you don't have to worry about your food going bad or even missing a work meeting.

With nine ports, including four AC outlets, two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, and a DC port, you can keep everything going at once if needed. And once you've depleted its charge, you can get it back up to full power in a little under 3 hours.

If you're ready to get prepared for any electric emergency, grab this power station while it's still discounted.

SAVE 44%: As of March 11, you can get the Sony ULT Wear headphones for $139.95 on Amazon, down from $249.99. That's a 44% discount or just over $110 in savings.

Sony ULT Wear

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If you want premium audio without the premium price tag, the Sony ULT Wear headphones are your best bet. When Mashable's Deputy Shopping Editor, Miller Kern, tested them, she wrote that they deliver "$400 sound on a $200 budget." Now that Amazon has dropped the price to $139.95, that value is even harder to ignore.

As of March 11, you can get the Sony ULT Wear headphones for $139.95 on Amazon, down from $249.99. That's a 44% discount or just over $110 in savings.

In her review, Kern noted that she preferred the richer, fuller sound of the ULT Wears to that of her $400 Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones. They easily earned a 4.8/5 rating and a Mashable Choice Award for delivering incredible audio quality without the premium price tag.

"I did a sound test comparison with the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Sony ULT Wear headphones because I know the XM5s have amazing sound quality," writes Kern. "Both headphones sounded crisp and clear, but the ULT Wear’s sound was fuller and felt more like surround sound. And even on the standard setting, the bass sounded richer on the ULTs."

They also feature active noise cancellation, 30 hours of battery life, and a dedicated "ULT" button to punch up the bass. If you want high-end audio but can't afford flagship prices, we recommend grabbing these before they're gone.