In the Japanese archipelago, a page in the history of home entertainment is slowly but surely turning. By ceasing sales of its latest Ultra HD Blu-Ray player, the Sony UBP-X700/K, which appeared in stores about 18 months ago (see our news item Sony UBPX700/K, new 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray player), the Japanese giant seems to be confirming its definitive withdrawal from the dedicated home player market, leaving a clear path for streaming services. Fortunately, on the mainstream brand side, Panasonic is still resisting and even says it is very satisfied with the sales of its 4K Ultra HD models.
The information, spotted by the specialized blog and retailer Kunkoku, was quickly made official on Sony Japan’s online store. The model is now shown there as definitively out of stock, with the explicit mention that no restocking is planned. Launched last year to ensure the transition after the discontinuation of other references from the company, this player will therefore have no direct successor, confirming the trend begun earlier this year in Japan with the official announcement of the gradual discontinuation of the brand’s [abc]Blu-Ray[/abc] recorders.
The end of an era for a giant of imaging
The Sony UBP-X700/K 4K Ultra HD player therefore embodied the brand’s last gasp in this mass-market segment after the gradual withdrawal of high-end models such as the UBP-X800M2. While a few residual stocks still remain in Western markets, where end-of-sale has not yet been formally announced, supplies are expected to stop quickly worldwide.
The PlayStation 5 as the last line of defense
In fact, the PlayStation 5 console remains, by default, the only Sony device capable of playing 4K Ultra HD discs at home. A paradoxical position, especially as the video game division itself is beginning a radical shift to digital with the announced abandonment of the optical drive on its future PS6 machine (see our PlayStation news: Sony announces the end of disc-format games for 2028).
Panasonic alone at the helm on the home player front
Cheer up, physical-media enthusiasts: while Sony’s withdrawal may be regrettable, Panasonic is holding the line. The Japanese group is one of the last historic manufacturers to maintain a lasting offering in [abc]Ultra HD Blu-Ray[/abc] home players. While a few emerging players, notably from China, have tried to re-enter this niche, they are targeting ultra-premium market segments, and therefore low volumes. And, after contacting Panasonic, all is well for sales of its Ultra HD Blu-Ray players; they are still here for a long time, that is, as long as consumer demand remains present.