Remember the Walkman? It Now Costs $5,000 to Buy a New One

Remember the Walkman? It Now Costs $5,000 to Buy a New One

Rob CarrollRob CarrollPublished: October 20, 2026Photo by Minh Pham on Unsplash

If you long for the days when you could go just about anywhere while listening to music through your Walkman, you’re in luck.

You can actually still get one of the music players in 2026. Just don’t expect it to play cassettes or be nearly as affordable as it once was.

What Does Sony’s $5K Walkman Actually Do?

In a move that Sony is calling “an iconic heritage revived,” the company has introduced the latest version of its Walkman, a portable music player that runs for more than $5,000.

According to information provided by the company, the Walkman has been “meticulously refined from every possible angle in the service of peerless sound quality.” The WM1ZM3 model is currently available for $5,899.99 via Sony’s website.

READ MORE: Why Goodwill Just Opened Its Own Record Store

And sorry, but it doesn’t play cassette tapes. Instead, in the 2020s, it’s a streaming music player with an HD touchscreen.

It also supports Wi-Fi and is Bluetooth-compatible.

SonySony

Sony Walkman’s Importance in Pop Culture

Sony introduced the Walkman in 1979, marking one of the first times you could literally walk anywhere while listening to music on cassette.

According to The Verge, the first Walkman was sold for the equivalent of $150 when it first went on sale in Japan.

The device was revolutionary at that time, which seems absurd to say when you can walk around today with what amounts to a small computer in your pocket that instantly streams just about any song. The Verge reported in 2014 that more than 200 million Walkman cassette players were sold worldwide.

Photo by Florian Schmetz on Unsplasha cassette player with headphones attached to it

As compact discs later started to become more popular than cassettes, Sony introduced the Discman before transitioning to MP3 players. The cassette version of the Walkman was officially retired in 2010.

The ’80s were when the Walkman was undoubtedly at the height of its popularity. Keep reading for a look back at the decade of big hair and big electronics.

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

Gallery Credit: Rob Carroll

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