Report: PlayStation Digital Transition Has Been Decided for “Some Time,” as Disc Manufacturer Switches to Production of Optical Microlenses
With Sony’s announcement yesterday that physical disc production of new games will cease in January 2028, some might wonder whether Sony will backtrack if there’s enough backlash.
In case you didn’t know, back in 2024, Sony tried requiring PC players to register a PlayStation Network account so they could play Helldivers 2 — a PlayStation-published title. Needless to say, gamers across the world were not happy, and in turn, Sony backtracked on this requirement.
If you’re hoping for something similar when it comes to physical games, that might not be in the cards.
PlayStation Disc Manufacturing Restructured to Lens Production
In an article by Austria publication Salzburg, it mentions how 600,000 discs leave Sony’s assembly line in Thalgau every day. But come 2028, it will significantly be fewer, given games won’t be part of the production line anymore.
Dietmar Tanzer, the CEO of Sony DADC, says, “PlayStation is currently about 50 percent of our volume, and about 20 percent of that is new orders. We are talking about ten percent of the volume in 2028.”
There are currently 300 employees at the plant in Thalgau , and they were informed about the restructuring on Wednesday, and even if Sony is ceasing game disc production, this employee number will still be maintained.
According to the company’s management, the changes “have been on the horizon for some time,” and that 30 million euros were recently invested in the new technology for the production of optical microlenses at the plant. It is to become a new business area per the head of Micro Optics at Sony’s DADC, Markus Streibl.
For those unfamiliar with microlenses, “Micro Optics is a miniaturization of optical systems and elements and is used to focus and direct light in the smallest of spaces. One application would be, for example, a car turn signal that is projected onto asphalt,” according to Streibl.
It’s said Sony plans to go into optical microlenses production as early as next year.
Does this mean Sony won’t ever backtrack on their decision on physical discs? We can’t say for sure, but for now, things are looking grim for those who want to permanently own their games.
In related news, Xbox seems to be going the same route, but they are testing a new disc-to-digital feature that paints a better picture of the future.
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