We Are Rewind just dropped an Elvis-themed cassette player limited to 1,957 units, and if you’re wondering why anyone would pay $199 for a device that plays 40-year-old tapes in 2025, you clearly haven’t been paying attention to Gen Z. If you’ve been stuck in Spotify and Apple Music streaming, you probably have not realized that cassette sales actually drove 5.7% of physical music sales and that Gen Z is the biggest demographic buying them.
Now even if you’re not Gen Z but you have a special place in your heart for the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, you’ll pay attention to the WE-001 Elvis Presley Limited Edition Box Set. This is a special edition version of We Are Rewind’s best-known WE-001 portable cassette player that was created to celebrate what would have been Elvis Presley’s 90th birthday this January 2026. It has the iconic red Elvis sign used for his Comeback Special back in 1968.
Designer: We Are Rewind
Since streaming is the number one way that we consume music nowadays, we assume that the days of physical music are all but over. But if you’ve been paying close attention, you’ll realize that CDs and cassette tapes are still pretty popular to a certain market. Cassette sales were up 204.7% in the first quarter of 2025 and searches for “best portable cassette player” actually rose by 50%. It’s pretty ironic (and cute) that it’s those who never experienced it originally are the ones driving the demand for physical music.
The WE-001 is popular because it has improved on the portable cassette players like the Walkman by including a lithium-ion battery and built-in Bluetooth so you can play both actual cassettes and also play wireless audio on it. You can play music on it up to 12 hours if fully charged and you can charge it via USB-C once it runs out of juice. It also supports line-in recording in case you’re in the mood to create mixtapes or something.
This special edition cassette player has a matte black finish with gold details plus the name ELVIS in all caps. It also comes in a collector’s box that has archival imagery to honor one of the greatest musicians of all time. Of course it also comes with a remastered cassette edition of Elvis’ Christmas Album which is still one of the best-selling Christmas albums of all time.
They will only be releasing 1,957 units for this special edition in honor of the album’s original release year. So there will probably be a scramble to get one of the rare units of this cassette player, whether it’s fans of Elvis or the aforementioned Gen Z that are looking for the best cassette players for the cassette tapes they’ve been collecting. If you’re an Elvis fan, a cassette collector, or someone who wants to own a piece of analog music history before it sells out, this is a no-brainer. At $199, you’re getting a modern cassette player with Bluetooth and USB-C charging, plus a remastered Elvis Christmas album, all wrapped in gorgeous collector’s packaging.
But here’s the catch: with only 1,957 units available worldwide, these won’t last long. Based on how fast limited-edition cassette players have been selling out in 2025, you’ve probably got a few weeks at best. The WE-001 Elvis Limited Edition is available for pre-order at We Are Rewind’s website. Don’t say we didn’t warn you when they’re all gone.
The post Only 1,957 of This $199 Elvis Cassette Player Exist — Gen Z Is Obsessed first appeared on Yanko Design.