Key information
Sony Japan has officially marked its UBP-X700/K unit as discontinued, effectively ending the company's sales of standalone Blu-ray players in the region. This decision follows the cessation of shipments in February of this year, with the company relying on remaining inventory until now.
The PlayStation 5 remains the sole Sony device capable of playing Blu-ray discs. However, the company has stated it will cease physical game disc production by January 2028, fueling speculation that future hardware like the PlayStation 6 might omit optical drives entirely.
This industry shift mirrors moves by other manufacturers, including LG, which ended player production in 2024. Additionally, Japanese firms Elecom and Buffalo have stopped producing PC-based Blu-ray drives this year, though Buffalo Americas maintains it will continue supplying the American market for the near future.
The transition toward streaming services over physical media has raised concerns among data archivists regarding ownership. While alternative manufacturers like Panasonic still offer players, Sony's exit further shrinks the niche market, which is also impacted by a lack of available components for reading SACDs.
