"Ex-PlayStation President's Take 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 in an interview with Easy Allies. His reaction was mixed, expressing concerns about Nintendo's direction and identity.

Yoshida commented, "To me, it was a bit of a 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 on the appeal of the Switch 2 for different gamers, noting that while it's great for those who only game on Nintendo hardware due to the ability to play titles like Elden Ring, it might not be as exciting for those with other gaming platforms.

Yoshida also critiqued the reveal event, stating, "Publishers must have known that that show, last week, would be one of the most-watched shows this year. Millions and millions of people watched. It's amazing to announce and launch your new game, if you have a chance, but most of the games were ports from past generations. I don't know if this is Nintendo's direction or third parties' choice. But one game I reacted strongly [to] was Enter the Gungeon 2. That looks amazing. They did a great job announcing that there."

He praised Drag x Drive for its "very Nintendo" feel and discussed the system's pricing, noting differences between Japan and the rest of the world. Yoshida 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 reservations, Yoshida acknowledged the Switch 2 as a solid business decision, appreciating the technical improvements made by Nintendo's talented designers. He highlighted the system's safe approach but noted elements like mouse controls that show Nintendo's playful side.

Regarding pricing, Yoshida touched on it during the interview, but the exact cost of the Switch 2 in the U.S. remains undisclosed. Nintendo has paused North American pre-orders due to new tariffs announced the same day as the system's reveal. With the global launch scheduled for June 5, time is running out for Nintendo to resolve these issues before the release.