Sony Group
The entertainment and electronics group behind aibo, a robot dog whose services and purchase terms depend on the market.1346
Sony brings games, entertainment and electronics into many homes. Its aibo robot dog adds a different kind of interaction through movement and responses to people. Understanding the group places that product in context, while choosing an aibo means looking at the exact generation and the services offered where you live.13
Visit Sony Group ↗From recording technology to a robot companion
Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita began the business in Tokyo in 1946. Sony’s historical account follows its early magnetic-recording research into tape recorders and other electronics, and records the adoption of the Sony name in 1958. Today, Sony Group Corporation is the parent of a wider group of operating businesses.12
The group’s corporate page names Hiroki Totoki as president and chief executive and lists games and network services, music, pictures, entertainment technology and services, and imaging and sensing. PlayStation sits within that wider business. This breadth explains the scale of the group, while aibo remains one particular product relationship for its owner.1
Sony announced the ERS-1000 generation on November 1, 2017 for a Japanese release on January 11, 2018. Those dates identify the generation discussed here. They matter when reading older aibo articles or considering a used robot, because an earlier model’s history does not establish the services available to an ERS-1000 owner.3
By October 26, 2026, Sony's Japanese aibo site said ERS-1000 series sales had ended. Its June 25 notice separately said that named plans, the app, repairs, parts and related services would continue. At the October check, the US store still listed the white ERS-1000 with a three-year AI Cloud Plan. The end of hardware sales in Japan therefore needs to be distinguished from service availability there and from the US offer.456
Products and everyday interaction
For aibo, the physical robot, app and cloud plan are parts of one ownership decision. Compare the regional package and service eligibility together. The wider Sony portfolio helps explain the business behind it.1610
aibo ERS-1000
The ERS-1000 is the named robot generation in this profile. Sony’s US FAQ describes a package with a charging station, power equipment and a pink ball, alongside the app and cloud plan. Confirm the regional bundle and service eligibility before treating a used or imported unit as equivalent to a local purchase.3610
PlayStation and the wider Sony portfolio
PlayStation belongs to Game & Network Services. Sony’s group also lists music, pictures, entertainment technology and imaging and sensing businesses. These activities are included in the group context, but they do not reveal the revenue generated by its robot dog.17
Choosing the interaction and support
Sony's US listing, checked October 26, 2026, stated final sale with no returns and excluded sale or use in Illinois and Baltimore, Maryland. Before ordering, confirm the applicable regional restrictions, what cloud-plan renewal requires and which behaviors remain if the plan ends.611
Sony's US privacy policy describes camera and microphone use, facial analysis and cloud recognition backups. It says automatic photography is off by default, with selected photos uploaded when enabled, and makes the owner responsible for informing nearby users and obtaining consent. The policy describes a general-audience service not targeted at children under 16. These are Sony's stated practices.9
What would living with it involve?
Where would the robot move and charge, who would manage its account, and how would visitors know about its camera features? Put those questions beside the local repair route and plan terms. They make the ownership decision more concrete than choosing on the Sony name alone.910
Read more on Robots in the House
Sources and notes
- Sony Group corporate data
Sony Group’s corporate data identifies the parent, its Tokyo location, leadership and business segments. It does not supply aibo-only results. Present operating affiliates should not be conflated with historical Sony company names. Source checked 2026-10-26.
- Sony: Masaru Ibuka
Sony’s historical account identifies Ibuka and Morita, early recording work and the 1958 name change. The research retained an indexed excerpt of this older account; it is not a current legal-entity or executive-office disclosure. Source checked 2026-10-26.
- Sony announces aibo ERS-1000
The November 1, 2017 announcement concerns ERS-1000 and a January 11, 2018 Japanese release. Historical product specifications do not establish current stock or the behavior of older AIBO generations. Source checked 2026-10-26.
- Sony Japan aibo current homepage
The Japanese homepage stated that ERS-1000 series sales had ended at the October 26 source check. The separate support notice and US listing have different scopes. Source checked 2026-10-26.
- Sony Japan ERS-1000 domestic sales notice
The June 25, 2026 Japanese notice separates hardware sales ending at stock exhaustion from continuing named plans, app, repairs, parts and related services. It is not a worldwide shutdown notice or an indefinite guarantee for every service. Source checked 2026-10-26.
- Sony US aibo white ERS-1000 offer
The US white ERS-1000 listing included a three-year AI Cloud Plan and stated final-sale and geographic restrictions. These are the dated US terms in the evidence, not a promise of present delivery to another country. Source checked 2026-10-26.
- Sony Q1 FY2026 financial summary
Sony’s Q1 FY2026 summary covers April 1-June 30, 2026 under IFRS. Source amounts are JPY millions; display values multiply by one million without an exchange-rate conversion. Sales are consolidated continuing operations; income is attributable to Sony Group stockholders, not total net income. Cash is the June 30 balance. No aibo-only revenue or profit is inferred. Source checked 2026-10-26.
- Sony earnings calendar
The financial archive was checked on October 26, 2026 and then scheduled Q2 material for November 5. That historical check is not restamped as a new latest-report assertion. Source checked 2026-10-26.
- US aibo privacy policy
The March 24, 2026 US policy describes camera/microphone functions, facial analysis, backups, optional photography and consent responsibilities. It describes a general-audience service not targeted at under-16s. These policy statements are not an independent security audit or a claim that all data stays local. Source checked 2026-10-26.
- Sony aibo FAQ
The indexed official FAQ describes the aibo package, one-year limited warranty and support routes. Its historical launch text is not a current price or a complete statement of regional warranty exclusions. Source checked 2026-10-26.
- Sony US 12-month AI Cloud Plan renewal
The US renewal listing was available through an indexed excerpt. Exact behavior retained after plan expiry was not established; the profile does not claim that all units become unusable or that all functions remain available.
We use official disclosures and other identified sources. Company claims are attributed; these profiles do not represent hands-on product testing. Our editorial and AI-use policy.
