I‑O Data and Verbatim guarantee the continued production of drives and Blu‑ray discs

Blu‑ray is Still Alive: Japanese Brands Shift Strategy

In Japan, there’s a trend of falling behind Blu‑ray technology: major manufacturers—Elecom, Buffalo, and even Sony—have decided to cut back or completely stop producing devices and discs in this format. Meanwhile, I‑O Data and Verbatim announced a new partnership and intend to continue manufacturing both drives and Blu‑ray media for the domestic market.

What I‑O Data and Verbatim Are Doing

Both companies confirmed their readiness to review production chains and supply them with necessary components. This will ensure continuous product deliveries, develop new models, and meet customer demands. According to company representatives, there is still demand for Blu‑ray drives and discs: they are needed for backup tasks, data storage, and other commercial applications.

New Products and Plans

On February 4, I‑O Data unveiled the external BD Reco drive, which immediately received a positive response. In collaboration with Verbatim, the company plans to improve this model and the entire line of Blu‑ray drives.

Where Else Blu‑ray Media Is Needed

In the near future, Blu‑ray discs remain relevant in several niches:

- Games for Sony PlayStation 5 and Microsoft Xbox Series X|S – they are still sold on physical media.
- Anime fans in Japan continue to use Blu‑ray recorders to create their own collections, confirming sustained demand among certain consumer groups.

Thus, although streaming services and cloud storage have displaced Blu‑ray from most areas, it still retains viability in specialized market segments. I‑O Data and Verbatim see potential here and are ready to support the format for the long term.