Pink Floyd collab turns We Are Rewind cassette player into a $159 collector's item

French company We Are Rewind has released a cassette player WE-001 in collaboration with Pink Floyd, and the device is already sold out. CEO Romain Boudruche said a new batch is expected in November, while unbranded versions of the player remain available for $159.

According to Boudruche, cassettes and vinyl are experiencing a revival among Gen Z. He attributes this to a desire for physical ownership of media, as opposed to streaming subscriptions. "You pay for your Netflix and Spotify subscriptions but you never hold anything in your hands. You don't own what you pay for," he noted, adding that listening to music on a phone comes with constant notifications that distract.

The joint version with Pink Floyd pays tribute to The Dark Side of the Moon, which Boudruche calls "the best album of all time." He admitted to having a tattoo dedicated to the record. In his view, cassette players are becoming not just tech but "collector's items" and a lifestyle statement, a fashionable accessory.

The growing interest in physical media is backed by data from the Recording Industry Association of America: vinyl sales in the U.S. exceeded $1.04 billion in 2025. Meanwhile, Sony has announced it will stop producing physical discs for PlayStation consoles in 2028. We Are Rewind, founded by two friends, is working to keep physical media alive, and its products resonate with younger audiences.