Sony Quit 4K Blu-ray Players? What Is Confirmed, What Is Panic, and Whether to Buy a Backup

Sony has stopped making 4K Blu-ray players, at least in Japan, and a lot of what is circulating about it is wrong. Here is what is confirmed, what is panic, which players you can still buy, and whether a backup player makes sense right now. The short version: do not panic buy, and watch Black Friday.

What actually happened

On October 22, Sony's online store in Japan marked the UBP-X700K as out of stock and said it will not be restocked. That was Sony's last standalone 4K Blu-ray player in Japan, a refreshed version of the X700 that came out there in May 2025. Sony's Japanese site now lists the original X700 as production ended.

The news first came from Kankoku, a Japanese Sony retailer that also runs a blog, and spread from there. What many people skip is that Sony has issued no press release and has not said it is leaving the 4K player business worldwide. When What Hi-Fi asked, Sony replied that the information has not been publicly announced and that it prefers not to comment on speculation.

So right now this is confirmed in Japan and nowhere else. In the US the X700 is still listed on Sony's website, and Best Buy has it for $329.99 as of this recording. Amazon is not selling it new at the moment, which is a sign of where this is heading.

Three myths to set aside

First, Sony does not own Blu-ray. The format was created in 2002 by a group of nine companies, Sony among them, along with Panasonic, Philips, Samsung, LG and others. It is licensed through the Blu-ray Disc Association, so Sony leaving the player business does not mean Sony can shut the format down.

Second, your player will not stop working. Some people claim Sony will push an update that blocks disc playback. Nothing backs that up, and a player does not need to be online to play a disc. If yours works today, it will keep playing the discs you own. The worst case is that a few future discs need a firmware update that Sony chooses not to release.

Third, the PS6. Many people say the next PlayStation will be digital-only, but Sony has not said so. What Sony did announce in July is that it will stop making physical discs for new games starting in January 2028. Those are game discs, not movie discs, and Sony has said nothing about whether the next console has a disc drive. The worry is fair, and I share it, but it is not confirmed.

Why it is not a surprise

Sony has been backing away from discs for a while. It stopped making blank recordable Blu-ray discs early last year, and in February announced it is ending its Blu-ray recorders in Japan. The PS5 Pro arrived in 2024 without a built-in disc drive, which has to be bought separately. Add the January 2028 game disc news, and Sony's TV business heading into a joint venture in which TCL will own 51 percent. This is a company leaving a lot of hardware, not just Blu-ray players.

Nor is Sony the first to go. Oppo stopped making players in 2018, and those are still among the most wanted players anywhere. Samsung said in 2019 it would release no new Blu-ray players in the US. LG quietly pulled all of its players at the end of 2024, and Reavon, a smaller French company, stopped making them in 2025. That leaves Panasonic as the only big name still making 4K players.

The number that changes the picture

Disc sales overall are still falling in the US, down about 9 percent in 2025. But 4K discs rose 12 percent last year, and in the second quarter of this year 4K spending was up 18.6 percent, according to DEG, the group that tracks home entertainment sales. The people still buying discs are buying 4K.

You can see it in the market. Boutique labels have never been busier, and newer brands are starting to sell players again, including a couple in Australia. Magnetar just released a $12,000 reference player. I am not suggesting anyone buy that one, but nobody builds a $12,000 player for a dead format.

What you can still buy

Panasonic is the main option. The UB154 and UB420 are its more affordable models, though the UB420 was already out of stock at Amazon within a week of going on sale. The UB820, the one on my own wish list, launched at $499 and now lists at $649.99, and Amazon is not selling it directly at the moment. The top-end UB9000 runs about $1,300. Panasonic has raised prices on these players more than once, so I do not expect them to come back down soon.

Consoles are another route. A PS5 with a disc drive is $649.99 right now and an Xbox Series X is $799.99. Both play 4K discs, but neither does Dolby Vision from a disc. If you buy 4K discs for Dolby Vision, a dedicated player is still the way to go.

Should you buy a backup player now?

Here is how I am thinking about it.

Do not panic buy. Panasonic is still making players, new brands are appearing, and Sony players are not gone in the US. Be careful with third-party listings, too. I am already seeing X700s listed for more than $500. Some are modified to be region-free, but if you just need a regular player, that is far too much.

If your only 4K player is a PS5 or an Xbox, start thinking about a dedicated player. You get Dolby Vision, and you stop putting all the wear on your console.

If you have a big collection and a single player, a backup is not a crazy idea. These are machines with moving parts, and they wear out. If you plan to buy one anyway, sooner is better than later, but Black Friday is the best chance at a lower price.

There is one more reassurance. Many 4K releases include a regular Blu-ray in the case, and regular Blu-ray players are still cheap and easy to find. Even in the worst case, much of your collection stays watchable.

The bottom line

Both of my players are Sony and still work great. The UBP-X700 has been on my list for a while, and this has largely made the decision for me. I will be watching it on Black Friday. To recap: this is confirmed only in Japan so far, Sony does not own Blu-ray, your player will keep playing discs, and 4K sales are rising. If you want a backup, do not panic buy. Wait and watch Black Friday.