"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 notably tempered, expressing a sense of disappointment and concern about Nintendo's direction.

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 highlighted that while the Switch 2 is a significant upgrade for those who exclusively play on Nintendo hardware, allowing them to enjoy games like Elden Ring, the excitement might be less for those with other gaming platforms. Yoshida pointed out the reveal event's focus on ports from past generations, though he did praise the announcement of Enter the Gungeon 2 and Drag x Drive for embodying a "very Nintendo" feel.

Yoshida also touched on the system's pricing, noting 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 reservations, Yoshida acknowledged the Switch 2 as a smart business move, recognizing the technical improvements as the work of talented designers. He noted that while the system plays it safe in some areas, there are still elements like mouse controls that reflect Nintendo's playful and innovative spirit.

The pricing of the Switch 2 in the U.S. remains uncertain as Nintendo has paused North American pre-orders due to new tariffs announced on the same day as the system's reveal. With a global launch scheduled for June 5, the company has little time to resolve these issues before the release.