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 notably tempered, reflecting a mix of appreciation and disappointment.
In the interview, Yoshida expressed his view that Nintendo might be losing its unique identity with the Switch 2. He highlighted that Nintendo has traditionally excelled at creating novel experiences by designing hardware and games in tandem. However, he felt the Switch 2, despite being an anticipated upgrade with a larger screen, more powerful processor, higher resolution, 4K capabilities, and 120 fps, essentially follows a path well-trodden by other platforms. Yoshida remarked, "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."
Yoshida acknowledged the appeal of the Switch 2 for those who primarily game on Nintendo hardware, noting that it allows them to play titles like Elden Ring, which were previously unavailable. However, he suggested that for gamers who play across multiple platforms, the excitement might be less pronounced.
He also commented on the reveal event itself, which drew millions of viewers. While he appreciated the announcement of new games, he noted that many of the showcased titles were ports from past generations. Yoshida singled out "Enter the Gungeon 2" for praise, describing it as an impressive announcement. He also commended "Drag x Drive" for embodying the "very Nintendo" spirit.
Discussing the system's pricing, Yoshida pointed out the differences between Japan and the rest of the world, and expressed some disappointment that the Switch 2 did not bring the unexpected innovation that many fans hoped for. 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 recognized the Switch 2 as a sound business decision, likely crafted by talented designers. He noted that while the system plays it safe in some respects, it still includes elements like mouse controls that showcase Nintendo's playful and innovative spirit.
As for pricing, Yoshida discussed it at length, 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 on the same day as the system's reveal. With the global launch scheduled for June 5, the company is under pressure to resolve these issues swiftly.
