In the aftershock of Sony's announcement on July 1, 2026, that the production of physical PS5 games would be "be discontinued starting January 2028" waves of discussion online immediately centered on the effect it was going to have on consumers and, most importantly, employees working in retail environments that focused on the selling of modern physical games.
The latter of which is one of the most important factors in my eyes, especially as someone who likely wouldn't be writing these words to you today had it not been for the helpful and passionate employees working at places like GAME (known as Electronics Boutique) during my childhood. However, I can't help but feel like film buffs and those who collect physical Blu-rays have been left out of the discussion.
PS5 consoles are incredibly helpful for playing not just physical games, but Blu-rays, and 4K Ultra High-Definition Blu-rays too. If you have one sitting below your TV, you don't have to spend more and invest in a dedicated 4K player, which costs upwards of $297.99 at Amazon, as they can play them for you. Yet, with physical games on the way out, and the likelihood of the PS6 launching without a disc drive getting ever stronger, movie fans may have to go back to relying on separate devices to play their vast film collections.
The PS5 is integrated with a 4K UHD Blu-ray player, and it's one of the many reasons why I've continued to garner an impressive movie collection.
While your average standard Blu-ray release can be awash with decent extras and collector flair, 4K UHD Blu-rays often release alongside additional goodies like behind-the-scenes documentaries and content, and like in the case of my £99.99 Titanic 4K UHD Blu-ray Collector's Edition copy (that no one who knows will be surprised to know I own), includes movie prop reproductions, sheet music for the film's iconic 'My Heart Will Go On' track, and even blueprints of the real-life ship.
It's not just me that gets a kick out of these collector-friendly editions. According to a report by the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG), as discovered by our friends at What Hi-Fi, sales of the 4K UHD discs rose by 12 per cent in 2025 in the US, compared to 2024. While the report doesn't state that this renewed interest is due to film fans already owning devices that support them, that's personally why I continue to grab them alongside standard Blu-ray and DVD. Even despite their lofty price points.
4K UHD Blu-rays are not cheap, and I usually get a look of discontent from at least one friend when I inform them that I just spent upwards of £39.99 at Amazon in the UK for just one single film, like the 85th Anniversary Theatre Edition of The Wizard of OZ (1939). Alternatively, I could have grabbed the Judy Garland classic for as little as £8.99 on standard Blu-ray instead, but I was raised by a film buff who implored me of the merits of classics looking their best, and I'm a sucker for physical extras.
However, the biggest reason behind that purchase and my increasing 4K collection is, of course, that my PS5 can play them, so why not invest? I already have a PS5 in my setup to play games, so it feels like I'm getting the most value out of the device by using it to play 4K Blu-rays too. Especially when you consider the price you can expect to pay for a standalone player in 2026.
A Sony-branded 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Player, like that of the Sony UBP-X700K, is currently listed for £269 at Amazon in the UK and $328 (Amazon) in the US. While you don't have to resort to picking up a fancy branded model, even scouring through the available players available today doesn't yield good pricing options. For standard Blu-rays, it's a lot easier, as you can find individual devices for around the $100 / £100 mark and out-of-the-box versions for less, pretty easily.
Alas, while they share the same blue-violet laser tech as the 4K versions, they don't have the optics needed to play 4K UHD Blu-rays. So instead, if you were in need of a separate player, you'd be looking at alternatives like the Panasonic DP-UB154EG-K, which costs £194.01 at Amazon in the UK, or $239.99 at Best Buy in the US. A price I do not look forward to having to deal with in Sony's all-digital post January 2028 future.
Despite being as big a film buff as I am, I'd honestly likely not have invested in them at all had my PS5 not supported them. Sure, I used to have separate players for DVDs in the past, but that's because off-brand ones were affordable at the time. I even managed to get a low-cost multi-region player that was able to play my random assortment of US anime DVDs, which I still own to this very day. Yet cheap 4K Blu-ray players are not really a thing, which is why I was always heralded the PS5 as a great console before now, as it held plenty of value to film and game fans alike.
I purchased my PS5 shortly after launch and before any price hikes for £449. A price that feels more than fair for a device that could play games, 4K movies, and allow me to experience digital and streaming services on top of that too. Yet, a future where next-gen consoles like the PS6 cannot support 4K films or physical movies at all is one I don't look forward to.
Of course, the idea that the PS6 may not be able to play 4K UHD Blu-rays is entirely speculation for now, as Sony has not confirmed anything regarding the upcoming PlayStation 6. There's a small and minute chance that it could release with a disc drive variant that supports 4K Blu-ray discs, or support the official Sony Disc Drive that you can purchase separately, but I'm not holding out hope.
Regardless of the outcome, a digital-only PS6 won't hinder my love and support of physical media, though it's looking like it may physically cost me more in the long-run. Despite the fears of disc rot and eventually running out of shelf space, I made a concerned effort to own all my favorite films, TV shows, and anime physically, so I always can play my favorites, in-sprite if they come with collector's edition goodies like my 4K UH Blu-rays or not.
I love having a piece of physical media that I can have and hold, and that's the case when it comes to both games and film. Despite being subscribed to at least 5 streaming services, it's more than common to find they don't have what I want to watch. Or worse, they remove what I once loved, like the Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies TV series, which is now only available to watch officially through a physical format.
Digital-only also puts you at risk of losing access to movies you've once purchased, something they cannot do with my physical collection - unless they want to barge into my home and physically pry my 4K UHD Blu-ray collection from my cold, dead hands. And to that I can say, you can try, but my pride in my Titanic 4K UHD Blu-ray and the rest of my physical film collection is one that will go on and on, no matter what Sony's physical media decisions entail.
If you want to make the most out of your multitasking PS5 while you can, check out our guides to the best PS5 controllers, best PS5 headsets, and the best SSDs for PS5.
