Sony has discontinued its last remaining standalone Ultra HD Blu-ray player in Japan, the UBP-X700/K. The model, released in May 2025, is listed as out of stock on Sony’s Japanese online store with a note that it will not be restocked. No successor has been announced.
With the UBP-X700/K gone, the disc version of the PlayStation 5 becomes Sony’s only hardware in Japan capable of playing 4K Blu-ray discs. The console lacks Dolby Vision support, which dedicated players offered. Sony will continue selling one standard Blu-ray player and one DVD player for now.
Japan decisions often signal later global changes. Once the UBP-X700/K is fully phased out, Panasonic will be the only major electronics brand still offering dedicated UHD Blu-ray players. The move follows Sony’s earlier exit from Blu-ray recorders earlier this year.
This continues Sony’s broader shift away from physical media:
- In July, Sony announced that production of physical discs for all new PlayStation games will end in January 2028. After that date, new titles will be available only in digital formats via the PlayStation Store and retailers.
- Existing games released on disc before the cutoff can still be reordered by publishers, and already-sold discs remain playable.
- Digital downloads already made up roughly 78 percent of full-game unit sales in Sony’s most recent fiscal year.
Sony has described the game disc change as a response to consumer trends, where preference for digital media has outpaced physical discs. Critics note the shift reduces options for ownership, resale, and long-term preservation. Analysts have also suggested the next PlayStation console is unlikely to include a disc drive as standard, helping control costs.
The discontinuation of the last dedicated 4K Blu-ray player adds to a multi-year retreat from optical media hardware that Sony once helped define. While standard-definition Blu-ray and DVD players remain available in limited form, high-end physical playback options from the company are shrinking quickly.