This year is the 40th birthday of the iconic Sony Walkman, and what better way to celebrate it than by launching a special Anniversary Edition of everyone’s favourite portable music player? Better yet, why not get Hideo Kojima to be the influencer for it?
The video game genius, who recently wowed the world with his first independent title, Death Stranding, posted up a picture gallery of the new Sony Walkman 40th Anniversary Edition on his Instagram. And it looks gorgeous.
The iconic blue-and-white Walkman is a relic from 1979 (Kojima-san would’ve been 16 at the time, a perfect age to get your hands on one), and we’re definitely sold on just how much nostalgia this little device brings.
While it doesn’t traditionally play cassette tapes like how the original one did, it still houses the classic UI on the front. Behind, you’ll find the 40th Anniversary logo slapped on a simple matte black paint job.
Open it up, and you’ll find a rather familiar sight; a cassette tape. But it’s actually a screensaver on the touch screen. The coolest part about this is that it changes colour based on the type of music you play on it.
The 40th Anniversary Walkman contains 16GB of storage, supports Bluetooth connection for headphones (though it still has a 3.5mm jack should you prefer a more classic approach), and lasts up to 26 hours before charging it (yes, there’s no longer the need for AA batteries!).
The 40th Anniversary Walkman will be up on sale sometime in November in Europe for €440. Pricing and availability for the US, Asia and the rest of the world have yet to be announced.
You probably came for Hideo Kojima, but stayed for the nostalgia.
Featured image by @lupcheong.
Marion has a serious RPG addiction. Sometimes it bleeds into real life; he forgets to sleep because he thinks he has a Witcher’s body clock. Forgive him in advance if he suddenly blurts out terms such as “Mind Flayer” and “Magic Missile”, because never once does he stop thinking about his next Dungeons & Dragons game.
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Kevin Low
