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Sony Interactive Entertainment

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Sony Interactive Entertainment
Information
Type Subsidiary
Industry Video games, Virtual Reality, Consumer electronics
Founded April 1, 2016
Headquarters San Mateo, California, United States
Notable Personnel Hideaki Nishino (President and CEO), Hermen Hulst (CEO, Studio Business Group)
Products PlayStation consoles, PlayStation VR, PlayStation VR2, PlayStation Network, PlayStation Studios games
Parent Sony Group Corporation
Website https://www.sonyinteractive.com


Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is the Sony subsidiary that runs the PlayStation business, covering its game consoles, online network, first-party game studios, and virtual reality hardware. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation and is headquartered in San Mateo, California, with additional global operations in Tokyo and London.[1][2]

The company was formed on April 1, 2016 by combining Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. and Sony Network Entertainment International LLC into a single organization.[1] Within the Virtual Reality industry, SIE develops and sells the PlayStation VR headset, released in 2016, and its successor PlayStation VR2, released in 2023. These headsets connect to PlayStation home consoles and, together, are among the highest-selling consumer VR products tied to a game console.[3]

History

Formation

Sony's video game operations had previously been run by Sony Computer Entertainment, founded in 1993, while its connected services and digital store ran through Sony Network Entertainment International. On January 26, 2016 Sony announced that these two units would be reorganized into a new company, Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, effective April 1, 2016. The stated aim was to integrate PlayStation's hardware, software, content, and network operations under one structure and to move the headquarters of the global PlayStation business from Tokyo to San Mateo, California.[1] Andrew House, then head of Sony Computer Entertainment, became the first President and Global CEO of the combined company.[1]

Leadership and structure

In May 2024 SIE announced a two-CEO structure, effective June 1, 2024: Hideaki Nishino was made CEO of the Platform Business Group (consoles, network, and services) and Hermen Hulst CEO of the Studio Business Group (game development under PlayStation Studios), with both reporting to chairman Hiroki Totoki.[4] In January 2025 SIE announced that Nishino would become the company's sole President and CEO effective April 1, 2025, with Hulst continuing as CEO of the Studio Business Group and reporting to Nishino.[5]

SIE owns PlayStation Studios, a group of first-party development teams. Among its subsidiaries is Bungie, the developer of Destiny, which SIE acquired in a 3.6 billion US dollar deal that closed on July 15, 2022.[6] By 2024 Bungie's once-independent operation was being folded more tightly into SIE, accompanied by layoffs.[7]

PlayStation VR

PlayStation VR (PSVR) was SIE's first virtual reality headset, released on October 13, 2016 at an introductory price of 399 US dollars. It connected to the PlayStation 4 console and used a single 5.7-inch OLED display running at 1920 by 1080 pixels (960 by 1080 per eye), with refresh rates up to 120 Hz and a field of view of about 100 degrees.[8] Positional tracking was handled externally by the PlayStation Camera, which read a ring of LEDs on the headset, and input came from a DualShock 4 gamepad, the PlayStation Move motion controllers, or the PlayStation VR Aim controller.[8]

Sony said in January 2020 that PSVR had sold an estimated 5 million units since launch, making it at the time the best-selling tethered consumer VR headset.[3][9] The headset's commercial scale, larger than most PC VR products of the era, made the PlayStation install base a notable target market for VR game developers.[10]

PlayStation VR2

PlayStation VR2 (PSVR2) is SIE's second-generation headset, launched worldwide on February 22, 2023 for the PlayStation 5 at a starting price of 549.99 US dollars.[11] Compared with the original, it uses dual OLED panels at 2000 by 2040 pixels per eye with HDR, refresh rates of 90 Hz or 120 Hz, and a roughly 110-degree field of view. It adds inside-out tracking (removing the need for an external camera), Eye tracking used for Foveated rendering, a vibration motor in the headset for haptic feedback, and new Sense controllers with adaptive triggers and finger-touch detection.[12] A single cable connects the headset directly to the PS5. The launch title was Horizon Call of the Mountain, offered in a bundle for 599.99 US dollars.[12][11]

Road to VR estimated, from a Sony investor chart, that PSVR2 sold just under 600,000 units in its first six weeks, about 8 percent ahead of the original PSVR over the same early period.[13]

PC adapter

On August 7, 2024 SIE released an official PlayStation VR2 PC adapter, priced at 59.99 US dollars, that lets the headset connect to a Windows PC and run SteamVR games such as Half-Life: Alyx and Fallout 4 VR.[14] When used on PC, several PS5-only features are unavailable, including HDR, headset haptic feedback, eye tracking, adaptive triggers, and the controllers' advanced haptics; PC users keep the 4K visuals, the 110-degree field of view, finger-touch detection, foveated rendering, and 3D Audio in supported titles.[14]

Other VR and tracking hardware

Beyond headsets, Sony has released Sony Mocopi, a set of six small wearable motion-tracking sensors (worn on the head, hips, wrists, and ankles) that capture full-body movement and map it onto an avatar in real time. It was announced in November 2022.[15] A January 2024 software update added a PC connection for VRChat, integrating Mocopi with SlimeVR and SteamVR for full-body tracking on desktop.[16] Mocopi is sold under the broader Sony brand rather than the PlayStation line, but it reflects the company's continued work in motion-tracking technology relevant to VR and the metaverse.[15]

Current status

As of mid-2026, Sony Interactive Entertainment continues to operate the PlayStation 5 platform and to sell the PlayStation VR2 headset, with the PC adapter extending it to the SteamVR ecosystem.[14][2] The company remains a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation and is led by President and CEO Hideaki Nishino, with PlayStation Studios under Studio Business Group CEO Hermen Hulst.[5][2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Sony Computer Entertainment And Sony Network Entertainment Announce The Formation Of Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC". January 26, 2016. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sony-computer-entertainment-and-sony-network-entertainment-announce-the-formation-of-sony-interactive-entertainment-llc-300209507.html.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "About Us". https://sonyinteractive.com/en/about-us/.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "5 Million PlayStation VR Units Sold, Sony Announces". January 7, 2020. https://www.roadtovr.com/playstation-vr-sales-5-million-milestone-psvr-units-sold/.
  4. ↑ "New Leadership Structure Formed at Sony Interactive Entertainment". May 13, 2024. https://sonyinteractive.com/en/press-releases/2024/new-leadership-structure-formed-at-sony-interactive-entertainment/.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "New Leadership at Sony Interactive Entertainment". January 29, 2025. https://sonyinteractive.com/en/press-releases/2025/new-leadership-at-sony-interactive-entertainment/.
  6. ↑ "Sony completes $3.6 billion deal to buy Bungie". July 15, 2022. https://www.engadget.com/sony-closes-bungie-acquisition-playstation-studios-190623763.html.
  7. ↑ "Bungie to lay off 220 staff, deepen integration with Sony Interactive Entertainment". July 31, 2024. https://www.gematsu.com/2024/07/bungie-to-lay-off-220-staff-deepen-integration-with-sony-interactive-entertainment.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "PlayStation VR Tech Specs". https://www.playstation.com/en-us/ps-vr/tech-specs/.
  9. ↑ "PlayStation VR sales have topped 5 million units worldwide". January 7, 2020. https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/playstation-vr-sales-have-topped-5-million-units-worldwide.
  10. ↑ "PSVR Sales Analysis: 5 Million Is A Big Milestone, But Sales Are Naturally Slumping". January 8, 2020. https://www.uploadvr.com/psvr-sales-analysis/.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "PlayStation VR2 Launches Globally with Dozens of Stunning Virtual Reality Games Available". February 22, 2023. https://sonyinteractive.com/en/press-releases/2023/playstation-vr2-launches-globally-with-dozens-of-stunning-virtual-reality-games-available/.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "PlayStation VR2: The ultimate FAQ". February 6, 2023. https://blog.playstation.com/2023/02/06/playstation-vr2-the-ultimate-faq/.
  13. ↑ "PSVR 2 Outsold Original PSVR in First 6 Weeks, Sony Confirms". April 28, 2023. https://www.roadtovr.com/psvr-2-sales-figures-units-sony/.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 "PlayStation VR2 players can access games on PC with adapter starting on August 7". June 3, 2024. https://blog.playstation.com/2024/06/03/playstation-vr2-players-can-access-games-on-pc-with-adapter-starting-on-august-7/.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Sony Launches Motion-Tracking Metaverse Wearables". November 29, 2022. https://www.coindesk.com/web3/2022/11/29/sony-launches-motion-tracking-metaverse-wearables.
  16. ↑ "Sony Electronics Announces a Significant Software Update to mocopi, Enabling a PC Connection for VRChat". January 18, 2024. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sony-electronics-announces-a-significant-software-update-to-mocopi-enabling-a-pc-connection-for-vrchat-and-adding-in-workflow-improvements-for-virtual-content-creation-302038402.html.
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