Shuhei Yoshida, Industry Veteran & Main Figure Behind PSVR, Departs Sony

After nearly 32 years with Sony, Shuhei Yoshida, also known as ‘Shu,’ has officially left the company.

Yoshida announced his departure from Sony in November and set his retirement date for January 15th, 2025. Now, the former President of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Worldwide Studios has said goodbye to the company.

At farewell party yesterday 😆 pic.com/hpiPWQIO1z

— Shuhei Yoshida (@yosp) January 14, 2025

In a PS blog interview, Yoshida shared, “I’ve been with PlayStation from the beginning, and this is my 31st year with PlayStation. And when I hit 30 years, I was thinking, hmm, it may be about time for me to move on. You know, the company’s been doing great. I love PS5, I love the games that are coming out on this platform. And we have new generations of management who I respect and admire. And I’m so excited for the future of PlayStation.”

Throughout his tenure, Yoshida played a pivotal role in the success of iconic franchises such as Gran Turismo, The Last of Us, and Uncharted.

Yoshida also led Sony through significant advancements in its gaming division, overseeing hardware and software development and building relationships with ‘AAA’ and indie game developers. After stepping down as President of Sony’s Worldwide Studios, he continued to champion indie developers as the Head of Indies Initiative at PlayStation.

He was a driving force behind the creation and promotion of PSVR, advocating for making VR accessible by integrating it with the PS4.

First revealed at GDC 2014 as Project Morpheus, Yoshida worked to bring VR to a wider audience by collaborating with developers to create a strong lineup of VR content for the platform.

Yoshida emphasized affordability and a robust content lineup to support the PSVR launch in 2016, positioning the headset as a more accessible entry into VR compared to other pricier systems.

While Yoshida has not disclosed his next steps, he has shown interest in continuing to work in the video game industry. Recently, he announced his involvement in the upcoming game Promise Mascot Agency as a character named ‘MonouGe.’

Throughout his career, Yoshida has been known for his candid and positive influence in the industry, and Road to VR wishes him success in his future endeavors. 吉田さん、ありがとうございます。(Thank you very much, Yoshida-san!)