People are incredibly jealous of gift given to retiring Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO
Topics: PlayStation, PlayStation 5, Sony, Gaming
Ben Thompson
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/@InstallBase
Topics: PlayStation, PlayStation 5, Sony, Gaming
When you finish up at a job, it's standard to get a few parting gifts.
More often than not, your colleagues will do a whip round to get some cash together for a bottle of wine or some chocolates.
It's a nice way to thank a departing employee for all their hard work.
But when you're the CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), your farewell is a little more extravagant.
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And let's just say, it's bound to leave many gamers green with envy.
In September this year, PlayStation announced that SIE President and CEO Jim Ryan will be retiring in spring of 2024.
In a statement, he said: “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.
The CEO recently had a farewell party and it was there that he was given his very special present.
PlayStation Employee Network vertical lead Yuichi Haga revealed more on X, formerly known as Twitter.
He wrote: "Sad I won’t be around for #TheGameAwards but I couldn’t pass up the chance to go to Jim Ryan’s thank you party and be around some legends and this one of a kind 'Jim Ryan' PS5 with PS1 style."
Yes, you read that right.
A PlayStation 5 in the style of a PlayStation 1.
That's pulling out all the stops, and then there's that.
The console comes in the classic two-tone grey colours with a matching controller.
On the controller is the original red, yellow, green and blue PlayStation button, along with the colored buttons.
This is an unique creation and cannot be purchased by anybody else.
Inevitably, this led to many fans taking to social media to sound off about their jealousy.
One wrote: "Yes how can you not be jealous? I would like to own a piece of gaming history.
"The first PlayStation looked dope. It had the best intro sound and animation too!"
Another fumed: "You can keep your slim, I want this," as a fellow fan chimed in: "I want it! And I want it yesterday!"
"I thought it was going to be shaped like the Ps1 too," one gamer commented, "It's still cool though.
"That box art gives me nostalgia and the controller is awesome!"
The machine that Ryan got gifted looks rather similar to one that was released back in 2014.
This limited edition console was to commemorate the 20th anniversary of PlayStation.
It shunned the newer slim black design to return to the look of the 1990s and were sold in very limited quantities.
Nothing has yet been announced about whether or not fans should expect a PS5 in this mould.
But with the console's 30th anniversary coming up next year, fans might still hold out hope.