PlayStation's decision to kill video game physical media has been in preparation for some time, based on a shift in priorities at Sony's main disc factory. Sony's announcement that it will no longer release physical games, from 2028 onwards, was always going to spark anger, but the backlash may have gone beyond their expectations. Many fans are already questioning why they should bother with a PlayStation 6 if it doesn't have a disc drive, while others are encouraging piracy in the name of preservation.
Petitions and fan backlash
There are a stack of petitions on Change.org too, with the largest, titled Don't Kill The Disc: Tell Sony To Keep PlayStation Games by Jade Pearce, having over 31,000 signatures at time of writing. While some fans might be hoping for a U-turn, as Sony has done in the past, a report from an Austrian disc factory suggests Sony is already shifting its priorities towards new technology.
Factory transformation
Sony's primary disc factory in Thalgau, Austria (others in the US have already closed down) produces 600,000 discs every day, half of which are for PlayStation. However, from 2028, the factory's disc output is expected to drop to 'about roughly 10% of the volume', according to Dietmar Tanzer, CEO of Sony DADC (Digital Audio Disc Corporation).
As reported by ORF Salzburg, the plant's 300 employees were told about a restructuring on Wednesday (July 1), but no layoffs are planned. Instead, Sony has apparently invested €30 million (£25 million) into equipment to manufacturer optical microlenses at the factory. According to the report, Sony intends to begin mass production on optical microlenses as early as next year. The factory's employees were reassigned from disc production this week to test the new equipment, and are set to be retrained in the future.
Optical microlenses: new business focus
Sony DADC's head of Micro Optics, Markus Streibl, says optical microlenses are set to become a new area of business for the company. 'Micro optics is the miniaturisation of optical systems and elements and serves to focus and direct light in the smallest possible space,' Streibl said. 'One application would be, for example, a car turn signal that is projected onto asphalt.' In other words, if Sony is repurposing its largest disc factory into a new business venture, it's highly unlikely the company will suddenly pivot based on a few online petitions.
Industry implications
It remains to be seen if other companies will follow suit. Nintendo will perhaps hold out the longest, as a significant chunk of its sales still come from physical games – and it uses cartridges instead of discs – but even it has made moves to diminish their appeal, through the controversial Game-Key cards.
