Sony’s plan to move away from physical game discs is continuing, but the transition will proceed more slowly than expected. The company is maintaining its decision to end disc production for new games starting in January 2028. However, Sony DADC announced that production at its Thalgau facility in Austria will decline by 10% in 2028, and that the previous claim of a 90% reduction had been misinterpreted. An unnamed spokesperson stated that Dietmar’s remarks did not mean production would fall to 10% of its current level. Physical PlayStation games may remain in circulation to some extent after 2028. ORF reported that approximately 300 employees will be trained to produce micro lenses. The Verge did not receive a response. Sony DADC did not share details about its transformation program.
Why it matters
This correction shows that Sony’s withdrawal from physical games should not be interpreted as a complete shutdown taking place all at once. Nevertheless, since the decision to end disc production for new games remains in place, the main change in the availability of physical PlayStation releases will emerge in the period following the production schedule. The redirection of employees at the Thalgau facility to micro lens production indicates that the transformation is not limited solely to disc volumes and that the facility’s area of activity may also change; however, the scope and timetable of this process have not been disclosed. The key question left open for actors in the physical games market is which games will be offered on disc, and at what scale, after 2028, as well as how Sony DADC will implement its transformation program.
Background
Sony is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 6 reports mentioning the name in the last 90 days; the latest is dated September 8, 2026.