In today’s streaming-dominated world, Sony Corporation — once a leading force in Blu-ray disc manufacturing, has confirmed it will exit the Blu-ray recorder market. On February 9, the company announced it will “gradually end shipments of all Blu-ray disc recorder models from February 2026” and that there will be “no successor model.”
It's important to mention that Sony is not completely halting Blu-ray production; the change only impacts Blu-ray recorders with integrated Blu-ray players. Sony has stated that it will keep producing Blu-ray Disc players for playback purposes, at least for now. Sony's recent announcement signifies the conclusion of an era that began in 2003 when the company introduced the world's first Blu-ray Disc recorder.
In 2024, Sony announced plans to gradually discontinue the creation and manufacturing of recordable Blu-ray discs and other optical disc formats. Additionally, the company reduced its media division workforce by 40%, citing the underperformance of the optical storage market as the reason for these changes.
In the previous year, Sony announced it would cease production of recordable Blu-ray discs, MiniDiscs, MD data, and MiniDV cassettes. Looking ahead to 2026, the technology company stated it will stop shipping all Blu-ray disc recorders, indicating that consumers will not be able to purchase them once the current stock is depleted.
Although streaming has largely replaced physical formats such as Blu-ray, the company states that it currently has no intention of halting the production of standard Blu-ray discs and UHD Blu-ray players. However, this situation might alter when TCL assumes control of Sony's home entertainment division next year.
Over the past decade, several tech companies have phased out Blu-ray, including Oppo in 2018, Samsung in 2019, and LG in 2024. Still, Blu-ray remains stable among enthusiasts, with brands like Asus, Pioneer, Panasonic, Verbatim, and others continuing to produce discs and drives.