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

In a recent interview with Easy Allies, former Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida shared his candid thoughts on the reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2. His reaction was notably tempered, suggesting a sense of disappointment with the direction Nintendo has taken.

Yoshida expressed that the Switch 2's reveal sent a "mixed message" from Nintendo. He feels that the company might be losing its unique identity, which has historically been about creating innovative new experiences through the synergy of hardware and game design. Instead, the Switch 2 appears to him as simply an enhanced version of the original Switch, boasting a larger screen, a more powerful processor, higher resolution, 4K capabilities, and 120 fps performance. He noted that even the presentation style, with a hardware-focused opening, mimicked other platforms.

"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," 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 that for those who exclusively game on Nintendo hardware, the Switch 2 is a significant upgrade, allowing them to play titles like Elden Ring, which were previously unavailable. However, for gamers who also play on other platforms, the excitement is somewhat diminished.

He pointed out that the reveal event, which garnered millions of viewers, primarily showcased ports from past generations. While he praised the announcement of "Enter the Gungeon 2" for its impressive presentation, he questioned whether the focus on ports was a strategic choice by Nintendo or the third-party developers.

Yoshida also commended "Drag x Drive" for embodying the quintessential Nintendo spirit. He discussed the system's pricing, noting differences between Japan and the rest of the world, and expressed a wish for more innovative features beyond the camera and mouse controls.

"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," he concluded.

Despite his reservations, Yoshida recognized the Switch 2 as a smart business move, likely crafted by highly skilled designers. He hinted at a broader sentiment that while the system plays it safe in many ways, it still retains elements of Nintendo's playful and inventive spirit, such as the mouse controls.

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