"Ex-PlayStation President on Nintendo Switch 2: 'Expected More, Got Less'"

Former Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida recently shared his thoughts on the Nintendo Switch 2's reveal during an interview with Easy Allies. His response was notably tempered, expressing a mix of admiration and disappointment.

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."

Yoshida's critique centers on the notion that the Switch 2, while an improved version of its predecessor, lacks the innovative spirit traditionally associated with Nintendo. He noted that for those who primarily play on Nintendo hardware, the Switch 2 is a welcome upgrade, allowing access to games like Elden Ring that were previously unavailable. However, for gamers accustomed to other platforms, the excitement is somewhat muted.

He elaborated on the reveal event, pointing out that many of the showcased games were ports from previous generations. "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."

Yoshida also praised Drag x Drive for embodying the quintessential Nintendo spirit and discussed 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 that the Switch 2 is a sound business decision, likely crafted by highly skilled designers. The broader sentiment, echoed across the internet, is that while the system plays it safe, it might be the right move for Nintendo's market strategy. However, fans of Nintendo's more unconventional offerings might feel a bit let down, though features like mouse controls hint at the company's playful nature.

As for the Switch 2's pricing in the U.S., Yoshida touched on it during his interview, but concrete details are still pending. Nintendo has paused 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, Nintendo has a tight deadline to resolve these issues.