Sony Just Announced a $6,000 Gold-Plated Walkman

Have you ever looked at your phone and thought, "This should only play music, and it should be shinier?" Well, good news, Sony is bringing out a $5,899 Walkman, and it's gold plated. The NW-WM1ZM3 model will be available in January, but preorders are available now.

According to Sony, the gold isn't just there for show. According to the official announcement:

"The NW-WM1ZM3 is built around a precision-machined, gold-plated oxygen-free copper (OFC) chassis, engineered specifically to further elevate the sound quality of this flagship model. It features a 99.99% (4N) purity OFC main chassis and an OFC rear chassis. These are secured with screws featuring a low-resistance gold-plated treatment applied exclusively for this model, providing a stable ground connection that delivers powerful bass, an expansive soundstage, and smooth, extended high frequencies."

It also has 35 hours of battery life, a 5.5-inch screen, and uses Sony's DSD Remastering Engine for better sound quality.

This isn't Sony's first gold-plated Walkman; it released the NW-WM1ZM2 for $3,200 back in 2022. Those now go for around $1,500 on eBay, if you're looking for a bargain.

Rachel Weber is the Head of Editorial Development at IGN and an elder millennial. She's been a professional nerd since 2006 when she got her start on Official PlayStation Magazine in the UK, and has since worked for GamesIndustry.Biz, Rolling Stone and GamesRadar. She loves horror, horror movies, horror games, Red Dead Redemption 2, and her Love and Deepspace boyfriends.