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 less than enthusiastic, expressing a sense of mixed feelings about the new console.
Yoshida remarked, "To me, it was a bit of a 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."
Special guest Shuhei Yoshida gets real about the Switch 2 pic.twitter.com/CzZYPnTtue
— Easy Allies (@EasyAllies) April 14, 2025
He elaborated that for gamers exclusively on Nintendo hardware, the Switch 2 is a welcome upgrade, allowing them to play titles like Elden Ring that were previously unavailable. However, for those who play on other platforms, the excitement might be less pronounced.
"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 highlighted Drag x Drive for its "very Nintendo" feel and discussed the system's pricing, noting differences between Japan and the rest of the world. He concluded his thoughts by 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."
Throughout the interview, Yoshida acknowledged the Switch 2 as a solid business decision with technical enhancements likely crafted by talented designers. He echoed a sentiment that's been circulating online: while the system plays it safe in some areas, it might be the right move, though it's a letdown for fans hoping for Nintendo's signature quirky innovations. Features like mouse controls hint at Nintendo's playful developer spirit still being present.
Yoshida also touched on the Switch 2's pricing during his discussion with Easy Allies, but the exact cost for the U.S. market remains undisclosed. Nintendo has temporarily halted 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, time is running out for Nintendo to resolve these issues before the Switch 2 hits the market.
