Sony Shifts Focus from Disc Production to Micro Optics at Austrian Plant

Sony's major production facility in Thalgau, Austria, is gearing up for a significant transition as it prepares to shift away from manufacturing physical discs. Currently, the plant produces around 600,000 discs daily, but this figure is anticipated to plummet following Sony's announcement that it will cease physical disc releases for PlayStation games starting January 2028.

A recent report from Austrian news outlet ORF.at shed light on the plant's future plans and the potential impact of this change on its workforce. Dietmar Tanzer, CEO of DADC, Sony’s optical media manufacturer responsible for PlayStation games and Blu-rays. revealed that PlayStation currently represents about 50% of their production volume, with new orders accounting for roughly 20%. Tanzer projected that by 2028, this volume could shrink to around 10%.

In light of Sony's decision, the facility's 300 employees were informed of an impending restructuring. However, Tanzer reassured that no layoffs are anticipated at this time. It appears that Sony has been preparing for this shift for a while, having recently invested approximately €30 million in new equipment aimed at producing optical microlenses. This investment marks a pivot in the plant's operations.

Markus Streibl, head of Micro Optics at Sony DADC, explained that this new area of business will focus on the miniaturization of optical systems, which can direct and focus light in compact spaces. One practical application of this technology includes projecting car turn signals onto the road surface. To facilitate this transition, the disc production employees are set to receive retraining for the Micro Optics division.

As of Wednesday, some employees at the plant have already begun testing the new equipment, with extensive retraining planned to prepare them for mass production of optical microlenses, expected to commence next year.

This shift in production may disappoint the advocates of several online petitions that have emerged in response to Sony's announcement, the most notable being "Don't Kill the Disc," initiated by Canadian retailer PNP Games, which has garnered over 30,000 signatures. Given Sony's substantial financial commitment to retraining its disc manufacturing workforce and developing new products, the likelihood of reversing this decision appears slim.