Sony will close its once-proud optical PC drive subsidiary by early next year, as part of its efforts to refocus on the connected world of smartphones, tablets and netbooks, a spokesman said Tuesday.

Sony will close its once-proud optical PC drive subsidiary by early next year, as part of its efforts to refocus on the connected world of smartphones, tablets and netbooks, a spokesman said Tuesday.

Sony’s drives were initially among the most advanced on the market, such as in 2006 when it released its first rewriteable Blu-ray drive for existing PCs, which was priced at US$750 in North ...