John is a writer at Pocket-lint. He is passionate about all things technology, and is always keeping up with the latest smartphone and PC releases. John has previously written at MobileSyrup. When he’s not reading and writing about tech, he enjoys listening to history podcasts and watching documentaries.
Sony, it seems, is exiting the dedicated 4K UHD Blu-ray player market wholesale. According to a new report from Japanese blog Kunkoku (via FlatpanelsHD), sales of Sony's last standalone player, the UBP-X700/K, are ending as of October 22.
Taking a look over at Sony's official online store in both the US and Canada, the UBP-X700/K is listed as out of stock. According to Kunkoku, Sony's Japanese storefront specifically lists the item as one that "will not be restocked."
The UBP-X700/K was first released in May 2025, and, up to this point, it has served as the last purpose-built 4K UHD player from Sony. With the UBP-X800M2 having also been discontinued over a year ago, this leaves the PlayStation 5 line as Sony's only 4K UHD-compatible hardware out on the market.
Sony UBP-X700/K
The UBP-X700/K is a premium 4K UHD Blu-ray player from Sony that features Dolby Vision, HDR10, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Super Audio CD (SACD) playback, and more.
Another one bites the dust
The 4K UHD Blu-ray player market isn't what it used to be
Sony, for its part, has been in the process of phasing out physical media products for some time now. The company previously withdrew from the dedicated CD and SACD player markets, and, earlier this year, it bowed out of the Blu-ray recorder market as well. Notably, Sony also announced the end of physical disc production for the PlayStation 5 video game console starting in January 2028.
On the whole, the 4K UHD Blu-ray player market is in a rough position. Both Samsung and LG have stopped producing new 4K UHD players, which left Sony as one of the last major players still in the space. With Sony reportedly out of the picture, this leaves Panasonic as the last tech titan still producing disc-based players.
...it's disheartening to see Sony -- the company that spearheaded the Blu-ray era itself -- abandon ship so unceremoniously.
On the bright side, a number of smaller companies have jumped onto the 4K UHD scene in recent months, with new hardware arriving from Krovatar, Laser, and Magnetar, among others. These players fill specific niches in the market, though they're unlikely to move significant numbers of units, at least in the short-to-medium-term future.
Overall, it's disheartening to see Sony -- the company that spearheaded the Blu-ray era itself -- abandon ship so unceremoniously. The company's decision to end production of PlayStation 5 discs has been met with significant backlash, and so it's possible, though less likely, that its decision to leave the dedicated 4K UHD player market will be met with some level of pushback, too.