Austrian plant shifts from PlayStation discs to microlenses
Sony’s Thalgau factory is cutting disc output and retraining 300 workers for optical microlens production, ORF Salzburg reported.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
Sony is preparing its Austrian disc plant for a sharp fall in physical media production, with the site being converted to make optical microlenses. The change matters for PlayStation owners and game retailers because the Thalgau facility has been central to Sony’s remaining disc manufacturing operation.
Dietmar Tanzer, president of Sony DADC, told ORF Salzburg that the Thalgau plant currently makes 600,000 discs a day. According to ORF Salzburg, about half of that output is for PlayStation.
That volume is expected to drop steeply. Tanzer told ORF Salzburg the plant will produce only about 10% of its current disc volume in 2028, and Sony plans to retrain all 300 employees at the site to work on optical microlenses instead.
Sony has already invested in the change
ORF Salzburg reported that Sony has put €30 million into microlens manufacturing at Thalgau. The broadcaster said mass production could begin as soon as next year.
The shift was already visible before the latest report. The Verge cited a behind-the-scenes video from December 2024 showing microlens work underway at the Thalgau site.
The production process still uses disc-like substrates. The Verge pointed to a Regional TV Salzburg video caption saying that as many as 60 micro-optics can fit on one disc.
A key site for Sony’s disc business
Thalgau is not just another manufacturing location in Sony’s disc operation. The Verge reported that Sony DADC’s disc-making division is headquartered there and that the Austrian plant appears to be Sony’s only remaining wholly owned disc manufacturing facility.
Sony previously made discs in the United States for decades. According to The Verge, that work was first based in Terre Haute, Indiana, and later in New Jersey.
NBC Philadelphia reported that Sony closed the New Jersey plant in 2011. The Associated Press reported that Sony moved manufacturing from Indiana to Thalgau in 2022.
The Indiana site has since been pointed toward other customers. The Verge noted that the facility now markets assembly and packaging services to automakers, including work involving headlights and similar products.
Microlenses point to a different market
Microlenses are used to bend and direct light in compact optical systems. The Verge reported that possible applications include emerging hardware such as headsets, while also noting signs that Sony may serve automotive customers with the technology.
The change at Thalgau adds another marker to the shrinking role of physical game discs. Sony has not been reported here as ending all PlayStation disc production immediately, but ORF Salzburg’s figures show the company expects output from this major facility to be a fraction of today’s level by 2028.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.