8K TVs might be approaching the end of the line.
As first reported by FlatpanelsHD, Sony has confirmed that its Z9K 8K TV, which debuted in 2022, has been discontinued. It is one of only a few remaining 8K TVs you can still buy.
The Z9K will linger on shelves for as long as stocks are still kicking around, but production of Sony’s sole 8K set has ceased. For now, Sony is officially out of the 8K TV market.
According to the report, Sony hasn’t closed the book on 8K altogether, but as of now, there are no plans for future 8K sets. It’s especially unfortunate, seeing as how Sony’s own PlayStation 5 Pro boasts support for 8K games.
8K resolution was once seen as the logical successor to 4K. There was a time when its ascension was all but inevitable. Today, its future is anything but certain.
Why haven’t 8K TVs been successful?
In short, two factors are at the heart of 8K’s failure to take off: cost and content.
8K TVs are priced at a premium, far higher than most folks are willing to pay. On top of that, there aren’t many outlets for true, native 8K content.
Newly released 4K movies and shows have recently become the standard for streaming platforms. Live TV (like cable and over-the-air broadcasts) mostly remains below 4K.
There aren’t many outlets for true, native 8K content.
The aforementioned PS5 Pro might proudly wear an 8K badge on its box, but only a handful of titles support an 8K mode.
Additionally, when you watch sub-8K content on an 8K set, you’re likely to encounter blurriness or artifacts in the picture on account of a punishing upscaling process.
This set of circumstances has made it hard for 8K to proliferate. Without 8K content, no one wants to splash out on a pricey 8K TV. Since very few people own 8K TVs, content creators have little reason to produce 8K content.
The clock might be ticking if you want to upgrade to 8K.
Can I still buy an 8K TV?
This year, there’s only one TV brand carrying the 8K torch: Samsung.
At the time of publishing, the flagship Samsung QN990F 8K Neo QLED is one of two 8K TVs making their debut in 2025 (the other being the Samsung QN900F). We recently took the QN990F for a spin, and while we were generally impressed, we noted its struggles in upscaling 1080p content.
Samsung’s 2024 8K model, the Samsung QN900D, remains available. But it’ll still set you back a substantial amount — right now, a 65-inch QN900D is $2,999 at Best Buy.
In 2024, LG launched a refreshed 8K QNED 99 Series version. Unfortunately, finding one of these in stock might be tough. LG hasn’t announced any plans to launch new 8K TVs in the coming years, either.
The future of TVs may be bright, but for now, we’ll have to do most of our dreaming in 4K.
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