Shuhei Yoshida, Key Industry Veteran and Driving Force Behind PSVR, Leaves Sony

After an impressive 32-year journey with Sony, Shuhei Yoshida—affectionately known as ‘Shu’ in the gaming world—has officially stepped away from the company.

Yoshida made his intentions known back in November when he shared his plans to retire, marking January 15, 2025, as his final day. Formerly the President of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Worldwide Studios, he’s now bid a heartfelt goodbye to Sony.

In his Twitter post from January 14, 2025, he shared a snapshot from his farewell party:

“At farewell party yesterday 😆”
— Shuhei Yoshida (@yosp)

Reflecting on his time in a PlayStation blog interview, Yoshida expressed, “I’ve been here from the start—31 years with PlayStation. When I hit that 30-year mark, I thought, maybe it’s time to try something new. The company’s thriving, PS5 is incredible, and we’ve got a fantastic batch of games headed our way. There’s a new generation of leadership whom I truly respect, and I’m genuinely excited for what’s next for PlayStation.”

Throughout his career during the PS3 and PS4 eras, Yoshida was instrumental in shaping acclaimed series like Gran Turismo, The Last of Us, and Uncharted.

A captivating image shows Yoshida unveiling the Project Morpheus (PSVR) at GDC 2014.

In addition to his pivotal role in franchise development, Yoshida guided Sony through crucial periods by leading both hardware and software initiatives. He cultivated strong partnerships with major ‘AAA’ titles and indie developers—something he passionately supported during his time as head of the Indies Initiative after transitioning from his presidency.

Yoshida was also a significant advocate for PlayStation VR, striving to make virtual reality more accessible by incorporating it with the PS4. When Project Morpheus, the early PSVR model, debuted at GDC 2014, he became an enthusiastic promoter, making appearances and keynotes while nurturing developer relationships to build a robust VR content suite.

His advocacy ensured that the PSVR launched in 2016 with competitive pricing and a stellar lineup, making it a more affordable option over premium PC VR gear like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, which required powerful PCs.

As for what lies ahead, Yoshida hasn’t let on just yet. But he remains interested in staying within the gaming industry. Interestingly, he has recently joined the voice cast for Kaizen Game Works’ upcoming game, Promise Mascot Agency, as a character named ‘MonouGe.’

Yoshida’s straightforwardness and optimism have always been a breath of fresh air in the industry. We at Road to VR extend our best wishes to Yoshida-san on his future endeavors. ありがとうございます, Yoshida-san! (Thank you very much, Yoshida-san!).