Sony's Thalgau factory, which produces 600,000 discs daily, is transitioning to produce optical microlenses due to a significant decline in disc demand. By 2028, the factory will only be making 10% of its current volume, prompting retraining of employees and a €30 million investment in microlens manufacturing.
Sony’s Thalgau production facility, which is the last remaining wholly owned disc manufacturing plant, currently produces 600,000 discs per day. However, demand is projected to decline drastically, leading to only 10% of that production volume by 2028. As a result, Sony plans to retrain its 300 employees for new roles in optical microlens production.
Previously, Sony had disc production facilities in the United States, which were closed down, with all manufacturing shifting to Thalgau by 2022. The Thalgau plant is not only responsible for disc production but also serves as the headquarters for Sony’s disc-making division. This change is part of a broader strategy that Sony has been executing over the past few decades to phase out disc manufacturing.
Sony has committed €30 million to develop manufacturing capabilities for optical microlenses, with mass production anticipated to start as soon as next year. Optical microlenses are utilized in various applications including automotive technologies, such as projecting turn signals onto asphalt. This represents a strategic pivot for Sony as it adapts to the declining market for physical media.
The decision to repurpose the Thalgau factory marks a significant shift in the gaming and media industry, which has been moving away from physical media towards digital formats. Sony’s historical production of over 26.4 billion discs highlights the scale of this transition, with most of that output occurring before 2022.
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Sony's Thalgau factory, which produces 600,000 discs daily, is transitioning to produce optical microlenses due to a significant decline in disc demand. By 2028, the factory will only be making 10% of its current volume, prompting retraining of employees and a €30 million investment in microlens manufacturing.