We think that the Sony UBP-X700 is the best cheap 4K Blu-Ray player. And now there's a new version – the first new Sony Blu-Ray player since 2019 – with some changes that make total sense to me, and potentially some that don't.

It's been a nail-biting time to be a 4K Blu-ray fan, as the players we rely on to spin our discs are beginning to show their age. Thankfully, Sony has given the format a vital lifeline, as it has just launched its first new model in over five years – a refreshed version of a five-star favourite that can be found on our best 4K Blu-ray players list.

Nope, Sony isn’t quite done with Blu-ray yet. Barely two months after announcing that it’s exiting the recordable Blu-ray business, Sony has revealed something of a surprise: its first new Blu-ray player in roughly five years.

Samsung quit making Blu-ray players in 2019 and it was quickly followed by Panasonic, with LG Electronics becoming the latest major name to exit, in December of last year. As mentioned, Sony looked as if it were on the verge of giving up too.

It's been a nail-biting time to be a 4K Blu-ray fan, as the players we rely on to spin our discs are beginning to show their age. Thankfully, Sony has given the format a vital lifeline, as it has just launched its first new model in over five years – a refreshed version of a five-star favourite that can be found on our best 4K Blu-ray players list.

For fans of Blu-rays, the physical media format, there hasn’t been much good news lately. In the past several months, Sony announced that after an 18-year run, it would stop producing recordable Blu-ray discs.