Sony is still steadfastly refusing to confirm or deny growing rumours that it’s about to exit the 4K Blu-ray player market for good, even as it continues to discontinue its last remaining product in markets across the world.
A report in FlatpanelsHD notes that the Sony UBP-X700/K 4K Blu-ray player is now “out of stock” on Sony’s country-specific websites in the U.S. and in several European countries, having previously been discontinued in Japan.
We first reported on the disappearance of the Sony UBP-X700/K 4K in Japan last month, noting that it was a surprising decision considering that the product was barely one year old. We also pointed out that the move is in-line with the company’s recent announcement that it will stop releasing PlayStation games on physical discs after next year.
At the time, we further pointed out that the Sony UBP-X700/K 4K could still be purchased anywhere else in the world bar Sony’s home country, but that story is now changing. The product has been listed as “out of stock” on Sony’s U.S. website, as well as its counterparts in Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland.
That said, the player can still be purchased from Sony’s U.K. website, and it’s also still available on the country’s Spanish and Italian sites, too. Plenty of third-party retailers continue to list the Sony UBP-X700/K 4K too, including several in the U.S. and affected European countries.
Forbes journalist John Archer reported that he’s been trying to get to the bottom of Sony’s plans and fired off a question to Sony U.K., asking it to comment. However, the reply he received really just muddied the waters further. “This information has not been publicly announced by Sony,” the company said in a statement. “We are aware of the recent media reports, but prefer to refrain from commenting on speculation.”
It’s a curious response, because Sony’s actions in delisting the Sony UBP-X700/K 4K seem to suggest that it really doesn’t care all that much about the 4K Blu-ray player market anymore, yet its statement clearly shows it does care enough to keep its plans secret, at least for the time being.
Archer speculates that Sony could just be “trying to control the narrative of such a negative move at a time and manner of its choosing,” or that it simply doesn’t want to deter people from purchasing its remaining stocks of UBP-X700/K 4K players. Sony did indeed provoke a negative reaction from video gamers earlier this year when it said it plans to stop releasing PlayStation 5 games on physical disc in 2028, forcing gamers to purchase digital downloads instead. It’s a deeply unpopular move because when consumers buy a digital copy of a game or movie, they don’t actually own that title. Rather, what they’re buying is a license to play or view the content in question, and that license can be withdrawn at any moment, leaving buyers with nothing.
Sony’s plans for 4K Blu-ray players may genuinely be up in the air, due to the recent restructuring of its TV business. Earlier this year, the company revealed it’s going to spin off its TV division into a new joint venture called Bravia Inc. that’s 51% owned by TCL. Because of that restructuring, Sony may not have had time to evaluate whether its further participation in the Blu-ray market is worthwhile or not.
Fans of physical media will be sorely disappointed if Sony does decide to exit the 4K Blu-ray player market, because the Sony UBP-X700/K 4K is one of the best such products around. While its operating system software is now a little dated, the player is very affordable given its £269 price tag, and it delivers a level of picture quality that surpasses any streaming platform. It’s also able to play Super Audio CDs, which is a rare feature on Blu-ray players.
However, it’s worth noting that the Sony UBP-X700/K 4K is essentially a very old product. Although it only launched last year, it’s basically just a refreshed version of the Sony Sony UBP-X700 4K that debuted way back in 2018. Confusingly, Sony didn’t add any new capabilities to the Sony UBP-X700/K 4K, but instead removed a number of its network functions, such as support video streaming services, WiFi connectivity, Spotify Connect and screen mirroring. Even so, the fact Sony saw fit to “streamline” the device is not indicative of a company planning an exit.
A departure would not be a surprise considering that Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, Oppo and Pioneer have all exited the 4K Blu-ray player business in recent years, citing the decline in popularity of physical media. Panasonic is the only other major brand that still sells 4K Blu-ray players, and it recently dropped a new high-end model exclusively for the Japanese market, sparking hopes of a turn in fortunes.
Other companies, such as Magnetar, Krovatar and Laser have tried to fill the shoes of those larger brands, and have all launched new 4K Blu-ray players this year.
