{
  "id": 16059773,
  "title": "Sony Japan marks last standalone 4K Blu-ray player as ‘Discontinued’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/sony-japan-marks-last-standalone-4k-blu-ray-player-as-discontinued",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-22T14:04:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Tom's Hardware",
    "slug": "tom-s-hardware",
    "url": "https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/sony-japan-marks-last-standalone-4k-blu-ray-player-as-discontinued-playstation-5-now-the-only-blu-ray-player-left-in-sonys-lineup"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sony Japan has announced the discontinuation of its last standalone 4K Blu-ray player, the UBP-X700/K, marking a significant shift in the market for physical media. The decision was made after Sony stopped shipping the players in February of this year, relying on existing inventory for sales. This move comes as the PlayStation 5 remains the only Sony device capable of playing Blu-ray discs, and the company has announced that it will stop producing physical game discs by January 2028. The discontinuation of Blu-ray players follows similar decisions by LG, Elecom, and Buffalo, with the latter stating that it will continue to supply optical drives for the American market but not for near future. This shift away from physical media and towards streaming raises concerns among some individuals who worry about a future where people no longer own physical items. Despite this, sales of \"retro media\" have increased, including CDs and vinyl, by 59% and 18% respectively. The audiophile market is also affected, with some Hi-Fi player manufacturers ending production of products due to the lack of components needed to read SACDs. As formats evolve, Blu-ray is being replaced not by higher pixel counts, but by the convenience of streaming, a trend that worries data archivists due to the shift away from physical media ownership.",
  "summary": "Sony is following the footsteps of LG in ending Blu-ray player production.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}