"Ex-PlayStation President on Nintendo Switch 2: 'Expected More Disappointment'"

Former Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida recently shared his candid thoughts on the Nintendo Switch 2's reveal during an interview with Easy Allies. His reaction was less than enthusiastic, expressing a sense of disappointment and concern over Nintendo's direction with their latest console.

Yoshida remarked, "To me, it was a bit mixed message from Nintendo. In a sense, I think Nintendo is losing their identity, in my opinion. For me, they are always about creating some new experience, like designing hardware and games together to create something that [is an] amazing new experience. But Switch 2, as we all anticipated, is a better Switch, right? It's the larger screen, more powerful processor, higher resolution, 4K, 120 fps, they even have a hardware person starting the stream, like other platforms do, right? And because it's a better Switch, the core premise of the whole Switch 2 is, you know, 'We made things better'. And that's something other companies have been doing all the time."

He further elaborated that while the Switch 2 is a significant upgrade for those exclusively gaming on Nintendo hardware, offering the ability to play titles like Elden Ring, the excitement wanes for gamers accustomed to other platforms. Yoshida noted the reveal event's high viewership and critiqued the lineup, mentioning that many showcased games were ports from previous generations. However, he did express enthusiasm for "Enter the Gungeon 2," praising its announcement.

Yoshida also touched on the game "Drag x Drive," calling it "very Nintendo," and discussed the system's pricing, pointing out differences between Japan and the rest of the world. He concluded, "Anyway, with some of the things Nintendo is doing, with the camera or mouse controls, creating new experiences, that's great. But other than that, I was personally a bit disappointed, because they didn't disappoint everyone. Because everyone wanted that better Switch."

Despite his disappointment, Yoshida acknowledged the Switch 2 as a solid business move, crediting the technical enhancements to Nintendo's talented designers. He noted the system's safe approach, which may be the right strategy but lacks the quirky charm Nintendo fans often celebrate. However, he pointed out that features like mouse controls hint at Nintendo's playful spirit.

Yoshida's discussion also covered the Switch 2's pricing, yet the exact cost in the U.S. remains undisclosed. Nintendo halted North American pre-orders due to new tariffs announced the same day as the system's reveal. With a global launch scheduled for June 5, the pressure is on for Nintendo to resolve these issues swiftly.