Another major Japanese electronics firm exits the Blu-ray market — Elecom publishes notice of termination of all external drives

Japanese electronics firm Elecom has decided to exit the Blu-ray drive market, discontinuing all nine of its external USB-attached drives by June 30, 2026. The company cited micro-segmentation within its drive range, offering various interfaces, colors, M-Disc support, and even a model for Macs. This move follows similar exits by LG, Sony, and Buffalo from the Blu-ray market. Despite Elecom's withdrawal, Buffalo reassured customers of its commitment to supplying optical drives in the American market. Blu-ray optical drives have been in the consumer market for over two decades, remaining popular among movie and TV enthusiasts.