This is why Sony is currently facing a lawsuit in which the lawsuit alleges that Sony is operating an unlawful monopoly with its PlayStation Store. According to the lawyers, back in 2019 Sony actually put an end to PlayStation gamers from buying third-party download codes. For those unfamiliar, these codes were sold by third-party retailers like GameStop and Amazon.
You could buy the code from those retailers, enter it on your PlayStation console, and you could then download the game. However, since Sony has revoked that ability, it essentially means that all digital PlayStation games can only be purchased through the PlayStation Store, which according to the lawyers has led to Sony charging “supracompetitive” prices.
According to the lawsuit, “Sony’s monopoly allows it to charge supracompetitive prices for digital PlayStation games, which are significantly higher than their physical counterparts sold in a competitive retail market, and significantly higher than they would be in a competitive retail market for digital games.” Sony has yet to comment on it and it is unclear how this will play out.