Hirai then became president of Sony in 2012 and gave up his Sony Computer Entertainment chairperson post later that year.
Hirai became president and group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment International in 2007.
Hirai joined Sony Music Entertainment Japan in 1984, and then joined Sony Computer Entertainment America before the North American launch of the PlayStation console in 1995.
Sony director and chairman Kazuo “Kaz” Hirai announced on Thursday that he will retire as chairman on June 18.