PlayStation Head Jim Ryan Is Stepping Down

Oliver Brandt
·2 min read

Jim Ryan fireside chat screenshot

Jim Ryan, the CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment and head of PlayStation at Sony has announced that he will be retiring from the company in 2024, after almost 30 years at the company. Sony Group Corporation president Hiroki Totoki will be taking over the position in an interim capacity until a permanent successor can be found.

In a press release on the Sony Interactive website, Jim Ryan said that his retirement is largely due to the difficulties of working in North America while living in Europe.

“After 30 years, I have made the decision to retire from SIE in March 2024,” Ryan’s statement reads, “I’ve relished the opportunity to have a job I love in a very special company, working with great people and incredible partners. But I’ve found it increasingly difficult to reconcile living in Europe and working in North America.”

He continued: “I will leave having been privileged to work on products that have touched millions of lives across the world; PlayStation will always be part of my life, and I feel more optimistic than ever about the future of SIE. I want to thank [Sony CEO] Yoshida-san for placing so much trust in me and being an incredibly sensitive and supportive leader.”

Ryan first joined Sony Interactive’s European branch in 1994, before moving up in the ranks to become president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe, head of global sales and marketing at Sony Interactive, and deputy president of the group, before eventually being named president and CEO.

In his time at PlayStation, Ryan has sometimes attracted controversy, such as when he asked “why would anybody play this?” in reference to PS1 and PS2 games during a 2017 interview with Time. He later recanted the statement, saying he was trying to emphasize how good games looked on the PS4, rather than disrespect older games.

So far, there is no clear contender for who will replace Ryan following his retirement, but we’re sure that whoever fills those boots will continue to do a bang up job.