A successor to Blu-ray is being prepped for release by the end of 2015, Sony and Panasonic have announced.
According to early reports, the new format will feature a recording capacity of ‘at least’ 300GB; a significant increase over Blu-ray’s already-meaty 50GB storage.
Much like Blu-ray has become the standard for high-definition entertainment after beating HD-DVD in its early years, Sony and Panasonic hope the ‘next-generation’ format will become the new standard for the industry.
"Optical discs have excellent properties to protect them against the environment, such as dust-resistance and water-resistance, and can also withstand changes in temperature and humidity when stored," said Sony. "They also allow inter-generational compatibility between different formats, ensuring that data can continue to be read even as formats evolve. This makes them a robust medium for long-term storage of content."
Sony’s next-generation games console, the PlayStation 4, features a Blu-ray drive like its predecessor. Microsoft is also jumping on board the Blu-ray wagon for the Xbox One, with both systems due out this holiday season.
What do you make of this news? Do you think the introduction of a new optical disc format will impact upon the PS4 and Xbox One in the long-term, considering they’ll both be using Blu-ray? Post your thoughts below.