Disc Production Facility Prepares for PlayStation’s Digital-Only Era

Sony is making significant changes to its disc manufacturing operations, particularly at its facility in Thalgau, Austria. Following the announcement that it will cease production of both first-party and third-party physical PlayStation discs by January 2028, the company is already in the process of repurposing its factory. This information comes from Dietmar Tanzer, the CEO of Sony Digital Audio Disc Corporation (DADC), during an interview.

Tanzer revealed that the Thalgau facility is being transformed into a production site for “micro-lenses,” with plans to retrain the 300 employees currently working there. Markus Streibl, the Head of Micro Optics at Sony DADC, noted that this transition had been in the works prior to the recent announcement. Interestingly, the employees learned about the shift to digital at the same time as the public, but management disclosed that a significant investment of 30 million euros (around 34 million dollars) had already been allocated for optical microlens production before the July 1st news.

While there are efforts underway to retrain the workforce, and some employees have already begun transitioning to microlens test operations, Tanzer could not guarantee job security for the workers once physical media production ends. When questioned about the future of the 300 positions at the factory, he emphasized that Sony aims to retain as many employees as possible, though he did not make any firm commitments.

Additionally, the outlook for the Thalgau facility suggests that it is just the beginning. Sony DADC plans to scale up the mass production of optical microlenses across the company by 2027, indicating a broader shift in operations that could affect all of its manufacturing sites.