Sony is announcing the retirement of PlayStation chief Jim Ryan next March, ending a nearly 30-year association with the company that saw him lead Sony’s current PlayStation 5 offering.

Ryan took the helm of PlayStation in 2019, becoming president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. Previously, he was responsible for SIE’s European business and also led global marketing for PlayStation.

A statement from Sony on Wednesday said, “Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) today announced that Jim Ryan, SIE’s president and CEO, has made the decision to retire in March 2024 after nearly thirty years in the PlayStation business.”

Although Ryan will not retire until the end of March, he will be temporarily replaced by Hiroki Totoki, who will take over as SIE president from October to help with the transition. Totoki retains his current role at Sony Group Corporation, and it appears that Sony is still considering who to put at the helm of their PlayStation efforts.

In his statement, Ryan spoke about the difficulties of living in Europe and working in North America.

“After 30 years, I have made the decision to retire from SIE in March 2024. 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. 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 Yoshida-san for placing so much trust in me and being an incredibly sensitive and supportive leader.”