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

Shuhei Yoshida, often affectionately referred to as ‘Shu,’ has bid farewell to Sony, marking the end of an impressive nearly 32-year journey with the company.

Back in November, Yoshida made his departure plans public, with his retirement penned for January 15th, 2025. Now, the former head of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Worldwide Studios has officially moved on from Sony.

Sharing a snippet from his farewell party on Twitter, Yoshida seems in good spirits as he parts ways with Sony.

In a heartfelt interview on the PlayStation blog, Yoshida reflected, “I’ve been part of PlayStation since day one, and this year marks my 31st with the team. After hitting that 30-year milestone, I realized it might be the right moment to step aside. The company’s thriving—I’ve got a lot of love for the PS5 and the amazing titles launching on it. Plus, there’s a new wave of talented leadership I truly respect and admire. The future for PlayStation is bright, and I can’t wait to see it unfold.”

Throughout the PS3 and PS4 eras, Yoshida’s impact was monumental. He’s celebrated for his significant role in helping iconic franchises such as Gran Turismo, The Last of Us, and Uncharted ascend to massive success.

During his tenure, Yoshida led Sony through critical phases of its gaming journey, guiding both hardware and software evolution. His passion for fostering strong ties with both major and indie game developers became particularly evident during his stint as the head of the Indies Initiative at PlayStation, after his time as Worldwide Studios President.

Yoshida’s influence also extended into the realm of virtual reality with PSVR. He championed VR, driving the initiative to make it more accessible on the PS4 platform.

First introduced to the public as Project Morpheus at GDC 2014, Yoshida was a vocal proponent of VR, continuously promoting its potential and building developer relationships to ensure robust VR content.

He was instrumental in positioning the PSVR, released in 2016, as an affordable entry point into virtual reality, rivaling more costly PC VR setups like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift that needed powerful PCs.

While Yoshida hasn’t disclosed future career plans, he remains keen on the video game industry. He recently voiced a character named ‘MonouGe’ for Kaizen Game Works’ upcoming title, Promise Mascot Agency.

Yoshida has always brought a refreshing blend of honesty and positivity to the gaming world. As he moves forward, Road to VR extends heartfelt thanks to him: 吉田さん、ありがとうございます (Thank you very much, Yoshida-san!).