Sony Converts Austrian Disc Plant to Microlenses Ahead of 2028 Digital Shift

Sony has already spent €30 million converting its Thalgau, Austria, disc factory into a facility for optical microlenses. The plant currently produces 600,000 discs daily, half of them for PlayStation games. The company told workers on July 1 that disc output will fall to 10 percent of current levels by 2028.

Sony DADC CEO Dietmar Tanzer said the firm plans to retain all 300 employees and begin microlens production next year.

Background on the Thalgau Facility The Thalgau site serves as the headquarters for Sony DADC. It previously supplied discs worldwide, including a now-closed Indiana plant that manufactured 23 billion discs between 1983 and 2022. Sony DADC has produced an additional 3.4 billion discs since the Indiana closure.

Management informed ORF Salzburg that the conversion work had been underway for some time before the July announcement.

Optical microlenses are used in camera sensors, AR/VR headsets, fiber optic networks, and medical devices. The company expects the new production line to replace most of the lost disc volume. " — Dietmar Tanzer, Sony DADC CEO, July 2026 (ORF Salzburg via Engadget) The shift aligns with Sony's earlier decision to move PlayStation games to an all-digital model beginning in January 2028.