

With most manufacturers having now left the standalone 4K Blu-ray player market, and even those that remain showing little interest in refreshing their ranges, fans (like myself) of physical media relish the prospect of the PS5 and Xbox Series X leading to 4K Blu-ray players being installed in tens of millions more homes than they were before. That said, Sony’s decision to include a 4K Blu-ray player in the PS5 potentially has far reaching consequences for the home entertainment landscape.

The support in the disc-carrying version of the PS5 for the latest and greatest video disc format is just a welcome home cinema bonus. Sony’s latest console is, of course, first and foremost a gaming machine. As with the 4K Blu-ray player built into the Xbox Series X, the one built into the disc drive-carrying version of the PS5 is not and was never intended to be its star attraction.
