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

Former Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida recently shared his candid thoughts on the reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 during an interview with Easy Allies. His reaction to the announcement was less than enthusiastic, suggesting that Nintendo might be straying from its traditional path of innovation.

Yoshida expressed his views clearly, stating, "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 further elaborated that while the Switch 2 is a significant upgrade for those who only play on Nintendo consoles, allowing them to enjoy previously inaccessible titles like Elden Ring, it may not be as exciting for multi-platform gamers. Yoshida noted the high viewership of the reveal event and pointed out that most of the showcased games were ports from past generations. He was particularly impressed with the announcement of Enter the Gungeon 2, praising its presentation and innovation.

Yoshida also commended Drag x Drive for embodying the "very Nintendo" spirit, but he expressed disappointment over the overall reveal, saying, "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, crediting the technical improvements to talented designers. The general sentiment echoes a common critique: the system may play it safe but still hints at Nintendo's playful and innovative spirit through features like mouse controls.

Yoshida also touched on the pricing of the Switch 2, noting differences between Japan and other regions. However, the exact U.S. price remains undisclosed as 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 set for June 5, Nintendo is under pressure to resolve these issues swiftly.