Sony Doubles Down on Officially Ditching Physical Media

Sony appears to be moving away from physical media entirely. Just months after announcing the cessation of physical disc production for PlayStation games, the company is reportedly discontinuing a key segment of its high-end Blu-ray player business. According to Japanese blog Kunkoku, Sony is ending production of its last UHD Blu-ray player in Japan, the UBP-X700/K.

This leaves the PlayStation 5 as Sony's sole 4K Blu-ray player in the country. The UBP-X700/K, launched in May 2025, was Sony's last standalone UHD Blu-ray player following the discontinuation of the UBP-X800M2 over a year prior. While the PlayStation 5 can play UHD Blu-ray discs, it lacks Dolby Vision support. Sony will keep selling one standard Blu-ray player and one DVD model, but there is no indication if it will discontinue these in other regions.

The discontinuation of UHD Blu-ray players follows Sony's announcement that it will cease producing physical PlayStation discs starting in 2028. This news was met with widespread outrage on PlayStation's social media platforms. The primary concern appears to be media ownership, as purchasing digital content often grants users a license rather than the physical media itself.

Sony is currently embroiled in a lawsuit over digital game ownership. In June, the company removed over 500 films from users' accounts after a rights deal expired. Additionally, Sony recently modified its Crunchyroll Store, limiting sales to premium subscribers only. As streaming and digital purchases gain traction, physical media is gradually becoming a niche market for collectors and enthusiasts.

Sony's impending discontinuation of its 4K Blu-ray players is merely the latest blow to the dying physical media industry.