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

Shuhei Yoshida, the former president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, recently shared his candid thoughts on the Nintendo Switch 2's reveal during an interview with Easy Allies. His reaction was notably tempered, expressing a sense of mixed feelings about the new console.

Yoshida commented, "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."

Special guest Shuhei Yoshida gets real about the Switch 2 pic.twitter.com/CzZYPnTtue

— Easy Allies (@EasyAllies) April 14, 2025

Yoshida elaborated that while the Switch 2 is a significant upgrade for gamers who primarily use Nintendo hardware, allowing them to play titles like Elden Ring for the first time, it may not be as thrilling for those with access to other gaming platforms. He noted, "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."

He also praised Drag x Drive for being "very Nintendo" and discussed the system's pricing, highlighting the differences between Japan and the rest of the world. Yoshida 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."

Throughout the discussion, Yoshida acknowledged the Switch 2 as a sound business decision, crediting the technical improvements to highly skilled designers. He echoed a sentiment prevalent online and previously discussed: the system might play it safe, which could be a strategic move, but it might leave fans yearning for Nintendo's more unconventional offerings. However, features like mouse controls and other unique functionalities hint at Nintendo's playful and innovative spirit.

Although Yoshida delved into the Switch 2's pricing during his conversation with Easy Allies, the exact cost in the U.S. remains undisclosed. Nintendo has paused North American pre-orders due to new tariffs announced the same day as the system's reveal. With the global launch scheduled for June 5, Nintendo is racing against time to resolve these issues before the release.