PlayStation Boss Jim Ryan Stepping Down

PlayStation head Jim Ryan is reportedly leaving the company. PlayStation is one of the biggest gaming companies in the world and has had a major presence over the last 20+ years in the industry. The company has earned its place in the market as one of the three big platforms thanks to its incredible consoles and its equally fantastic games. Since the PS3 era in particular, Sony has had a strong focus on crafting strong first-party single player games that have gone on to win numerous awards and even spawn critically acclaimed adaptations. As the company continues to grow and expand, many are interested to see what will come of the PS5 generation.

However, it could change quite a bit going forward. Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan is stepping down from his role from his role at Sony in March 2024. He will continue to operate as President and CEO until then, but on April 1st, 2024, Hiroki Totoki will be appointed Interim CEO of SIE. Jim Ryan noted in a statement that he was having troubles striking a balance between his home life in the UK and his work life in the United States, prompting him to make the decision to retire. Ryan took over from the previous SIE President, Andrew House, in 2019. Fans have been critical of Ryan in recent years due to seemingly not respecting the value of true backward compatibility and the legacy of PlayStation’s older games in addition to other things. He was also very actively against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision and various comments, both public and private, rubbed some gamers the wrong way. However, PlayStation was a massive success during his time as the company navigated the launch of PlayStation 5 during COVID, oversaw the release of some of the company’s biggest games such as The Last of Us Part II, acquired both Insomniac Games and Bungie, and much more.

You can view Ryan’s personal statement below:

“As you will have seen today in the news , I have announced my retirement after nearly 30 years at Sony Interactive Entertainment. I did not take this decision lightly and I absolutely love SIE and our community, but of late I’ve been finding it increasingly difficult to strike the right balance between having my home in the UK and my job in the United States. As mentioned in the press release, I will continue my role as President and CEO until March 2024. Effective April 1, 2024, Hiroki Totoki will be appointed Interim CEO of SIE while he continues his current role at Sony Group Corporation.

I feel humbled at having the opportunity to lead a company delivering products that touch millions of lives. From award-winning games to the incredibly immersive technical achievements delivered with PlayStation 5, I’m immensely proud of what we have achieved and very optimistic for the future of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

From my beginning in Europe, it was clear that Sony had built something truly special. Generations later I am still amazed by the excitement and passion of the PlayStation community. It is thanks to you that we have been able to keep innovating and delivering even greater experiences. Since 1994, generations of gamers have inspired us to be better, to push the boundaries, and the results have been incredible. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”