Sony discontinues it’s robotic pet dog ‘aibo’ in Japan

In a bittersweet moment for tech enthusiasts and roboticists alike, Sony Group Corp. has officially announced that it will discontinue sales of its iconic aibo robot pet dog in Japan.

The notification, issued on June 25, 2026, states that Japan sales of the current ERS-1000 model will permanently cease once current warehouse inventories are completely depleted. The decision stems from an extensive internal corporate review aimed at streamlining Sony’s future business and cloud service portfolios.

1. End of an Eight-Year Renaissance

The sunsetting of the current ERS-1000 model marks the conclusion of a highly successful second life for the mechanical pup.

• The 2018 Comeback: Sony initially pioneered the robotic pet market way back in 1999 with the original angular, silver AIBO, before canceling it in 2006 during a company-wide restructuring. The line was spectacularly revived in January 2018 with the launch of the rounded, hyper-expressive ERS-1000.
• A Lifeline for Aging Communities: Featuring OLED eyes that convey deep emotions, a nose camera for facial recognition, and continuous cloud connectivity, the 30-centimeter hound became an instant hit in Japan. It clocked 20,000 sales in its first six months alone and found a deeply passionate consumer base among senior citizens and urban apartment dwellers unable to care for real animals in Japan’s rapidly aging society.

                          [ The Twin Timelines of aibo ]
                                        │
      ┌─────────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────────────┐
      ▼                                                                   ▼
[ The Legacy Cycle ]                                        [ The Modern AI Cycle ]
• 1999: Debut of first angular bot.                         • 2018: Launch of expressive ERS-1000.
• 150,000+ units sold over 7 years.                         • Integrated cloud-brain & AI software.
• 2006: Cancelled amid corporate cuts.                      • June 25, 2026: Japan sales sunsetted.

2. The Operational Strategy: The US Contingent & Continuous Support

Fortunately for existing owners, Sony is going to great lengths to ensure this cancellation does not mirror the sudden, painful abandonment of the 2006 model, which left early adopters without a repair path for their aging hardware:

Operational Vertical	Future Strategy & Continuity Parameters
The US Retail Market	Uneffected: Sony will actively continue marketing, selling, and distributing the aibo line across the United States.
Hardware & Repairs	Sony has formally committed to maintaining full tech support lines, fulfilling warranty conditions, and manufacturing vital replacement parts and components for existing users in Japan.
The Cloud Network	Active subscription structures to the online AI Cloud Plan—which enables aibo to back up its evolving personality, recognize its owner, and generate its recently updated AI daily memory journals—will remain fully operational.

While Sony has kept total lifecycle sales figures for the ERS-1000 confidential, the abrupt wind-down highlights a broader strategic shift within the company. As Sony navigates a turbulent tech climate—marked by sudden hardware supply chain challenges and macroeconomic margin pressures—the tech giant is reallocating capital away from niche, consumer-facing companion robotics to double down on mainline entertainment, enterprise image sensors, and core industrial AI infrastructure.