While Microsoft retires Windows 10, optical drives are selling like hot cakes in Japan for some reason

[Alfonso Maruccia]

WTF?! Microsoft released the final cumulative update for Windows 10 a few days ago, and some users are still deciding what to do next. The old operating system will likely continue working for years without issues, but in some parts of the world, users are considering upgrading their next-generation Windows 11 hardware with a… Blu-ray burner?

Just in time for the end of Windows 10 mainstream support, Akihabara stores are quickly running out of optical PC drives. Hardware retailers in the Tokyo district that never sleeps are experiencing what appears to be a rush to purchase new drives, with Microsoft's decision to abandon Windows 10 cited as a possible explanation for this unusual spike.

Some Akihabara stores are informing customers that Blu-ray drives are sold out and only DVD drives remain. Many users have opted for the regular DVD drives to upgrade to Windows 11, so stores expect these units to run out soon as well.

Microsoft's newer operating system is giving a noticeable boost to hardware and PC sales, as shipment estimates have already confirmed. However, the sudden rush to buy optical drives in this day and age is somewhat unexpected. One store representative noted that users mostly favor internal drives for performance reasons, but many modern PC case designs make this essentially impossible.

In fact, when I purchased my current gaming PC in 2020, I had to specifically choose a custom ATX case to retain the ability to use my growing collection of DVD and Blu-ray media. Furthermore, major brands such as Sony, LG, and Panasonic exited the optical media business long ago. Other Japanese companies have stepped in to continue serving the increasingly niche market.

Sony sums up Japan's preference for physical media in a 2013 PlayStation 4 ad.

Japan has always had a unique relationship with physical media, from optical to magnetic. Meanwhile, most Western studios and manufacturers now focus on streaming, cloud services, and digital downloads to keep their customers engaged, strapped for cash, and moderately satisfied with their media consumption.

Even so, the current surge in Blu-ray burner sales in Electric Town might have a simple explanation unrelated to Windows 11. Japan's cultural fixation on tangible products that can be easily shared or passed around, combined with deep discounts on optical drives, appears to be fueling a Blu-ray and DVD revival in Akihabara.

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While Microsoft retires Windows 10, optical drives are selling like hot cakes in Japan for some reason

 

[GeoffreyA]

The residents of Akihabara know that the world-line divergence threshold is soon going to be hit, so they're acting fast. El Psy Congroo.

 

[Megalomaniac]

I love offline storage as well, but I prefer SSD and HDD for my current computing. My old stuff is on HDD and DVD.

 

[Subset6]

I have an old Sandy Bridge E motherboard and CPU lying around that I want to rebuild, but it won't support Windows 11. I was worried the Windows 10 USB ISO might have been removed from the Microsoft webpage due to end of support. Thankfully, it’s still there (for now). I went ahead and created a backup USB ISO just in case they take it down.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Understandable. Maintaining local backups is important for security and Japan has always had a love of physical media. They kept ZIP drives, WORM drives, and laserdisk alive far longer then in the west.

I still use physical portable HDDs to keep important data backed up off the NAS. Keep them in a safe deposit box in case the worst happens.

 

[kinetix]

My backups are on 8GB DVDs, very specifically selected discs, burned with great care on selected drives and various post-verifications, and then stored with great care as well. and are only touched when really needed. Another backup, of the things I'm currently working on, is on an HDD. Both are in a different location in the house from where the PC is (where there's another backup file folder on one of the HDDs, copies from some version behind of the things I'm working on).
I have several dozen DVD-8s waiting for me to finish "putting together" what I should continue saving on them. Of course, for that, I keep several DVD drives, both IDE and SATA (I should buy an external USB one).
For years, I've always wanted a Blu-ray for this. Maybe in the end I'll buy a single drive and a number of discs, as the prices are low, to make a copies of the most important thing on the backups.

 

[whateversa]

I guess this is an interesting way to make backups that are resistant to ransomware... write once, then only try retrieval through a drive that cannot write.

 

[Liranan]

I guess this is an interesting way to make backups that are resistant to ransomware... write once, then only try retrieval through a drive that cannot write.

That's why I run Linux on my server and not Windows, with several VM's to isolate important data.

 

[candle86]

I guess this is an interesting way to make backups that are resistant to ransomware... write once, then only try retrieval through a drive that cannot write.

If it's not an RW desk you can't write to it again anyway that's the point

 

[crossbow007]

My backups are on 8GB DVDs, very specifically selected discs, burned with great care on selected drives and various post-verifications, and then stored with great care as well. and are only touched when really needed. Another backup, of the things I'm currently working on, is on an HDD. Both are in a different location in the house from where the PC is (where there's another backup file folder on one of the HDDs, copies from some version behind of the things I'm working on).
I have several dozen DVD-8s waiting for me to finish "putting together" what I should continue saving on them. Of course, for that, I keep several DVD drives, both IDE and SATA (I should buy an external USB one).
For years, I've always wanted a Blu-ray for this. Maybe in the end I'll buy a single drive and a number of discs, as the prices are low, to make a copies of the most important thing on the backups.

You are probably aware of this, but just in case, make sure to periodically refresh or recopy the DVDs or ensure they are the expensive long term storage type (50-100 yr). Not all DVDR's are the same and they can can degrade, making them only last about 10-20 years. Ask me how I know .

 

[mountains]

I am surprised no one yet mentioned that, theoretically, an EMP attack could destroy a lot of our digital data. It is possible that optical media may survive this. That had been one of the arguments for the continued use of optical media.

Also, the statements that not all optical media is equally durable is true, as I have also discovered. And what is actually physically touching that media is important. I had some colored plastic sleeves that destroyed some media.

 

[Hotlynx16]

I read about a new Pioneer Blu-Ray drive that came out last year so I searched for it online and found one on Amazon so I ordered it! It came directly all the way from Japan! Wow! I also looked for some 50 GB verbatims an the best price I could find was on Ebay from a Japanese seller! The drive works great with the 50 GB disks!

 

[LimyG]

I live (as an expat) in Japan. Have been here for decades, and yes this story is true.

I guess it got passed on to me too. I bought a 4k Blu ray player last year, and buy the huge storage blue ray 4k disks that movies come on. (They won't even play in a regular blu-ray player.)

Watching a movie or anything really, from a real 4k disk with a 4k player and modern large TV is incredible. It's the most high fidelity for sure, and really makes a great TV show what it can do.

Not the cheapest of methods though.

Edit: Forgot to say, my PC has a blu-ray drive for reading and burning. Also have a dual external blu-ray drive too. But they are not 4K.

Only for expensive OLED TVs does the expense of buying 4k Blu-rays really make sense. Most of my collection are 1080p blu ray.
Can't watch 4k blu-ray disks on my PC, but that's fine.

 

[Hotlynx16]

I live (as an expat) in Japan. Have been here for decades, and yes this story is true.

I guess it got passed on to me too. I bought a 4k Blu ray player last year, and buy the huge storage blue ray 4k disks that movies come on. (They won't even play in a regular blu-ray player.)

Watching a movie or anything really, from a real 4k disk with a 4k player and modern large TV is incredible. It's the most high fidelity for sure, and really makes a great TV show what it can do.

Not the cheapest of methods though.

Edit: Forgot to say, my PC has a blu-ray drive for reading and burning. Also have a dual external blu-ray drive too. But they are not 4K.

Only for expensive OLED TVs does the expense of buying 4k Blu-rays really make sense. Most of my collection are 1080p blu ray.
Can't watch 4k blu-ray disks on my PC, but that's fine.

I bought a Pioneer Blu-ray drive that is 4K compatible last year for $118 a similar one ( BDR-212DBK) on Amazon now is over $227 and you have to do a firmware upgrade to play 4k!

 

[LimyG]

I bought a Pioneer Blu-ray drive that is 4K compatible last year for $118 a similar one ( BDR-212DBK) on Amazon now is over $227 and you have to do a firmware upgrade to play 4k!

The one I bought may well be only available in Japan. Details:

Panasonic DP-UB-45-K. Only Japan has the "-K" version it seems?

Brand new. Manuf. date. April 2025.

It's actually a fairly new product. Works for Japan and USA regions without hack.

Plug it in, set it up, Watch the highest fidelity 4K released movies etc. (Of course it plays 1080p too) So does my old PS3 which is STILL a good regular Blu-ray player, up to 10bit.

I often use the PS3 for standard blu-ray, so simple to setup.

Final point. 4K released movies etc are not a big thing. But for instance I have.
House of the Dragon seasons 1 & 2 at 4K, amazing stuff.

The whole lot all seasons of Game of thrones I bought a while ago on regular blu-ray.
(House of the Dragon) was released well after Game of thrones.

If the above 4k player is ordered from Amazon jp, and they permit to sell overseas, it would work in the USA out the box. But, menus are in Japanese - bummer.