Masayasu Ito, the lead hardware engineer for PlayStation consoles since the PS4, is retiring next month. 60-year-old Ito has been with Sony since 1986 and has led hardware engineering for both the PS4 and PS5. Tao Lin, who is currently the director, will be taking over Ito’s role as deputy president and representative director of Sony’s Japan operation.

Ito’s departure comes as a surprise to many in the gaming community, as he was widely considered one of the driving forces behind Sony’s success in the console market. Nevertheless, Lin Tao is an experienced leader and is well-equipped to take over Ito’s responsibilities. We wish Ito all the best in his retirement and thank him for his contributions to PlayStation gaming.

This announcement came from Sonys brief press release:  Source