Cliff Notes – Switch 2 shows Nintendo is ‘losing their identity’ says ex-PS5 boss
- Shuhei Yoshida, former PlayStation executive, criticises the Nintendo Switch 2 for lacking innovation, suggesting it is merely a straightforward hardware upgrade rather than a bold new direction for the company.
- He expresses disappointment that the console aligns with expectations, arguing that Nintendo is losing its unique identity by following industry trends instead of creating new experiences.
- Yoshida questions Nintendo’s decision to charge for the Switch 2 Welcome Tour, viewing it as a missed opportunity to engage potential fans and showcase the console’s capabilities.
Switch 2 shows Nintendo is ‘losing their identity’ says ex-PS5 boss
Shuhei Yoshida has been very down on Nintendo lately (X/Nintendo)
Shuhei Yoshida has expressed disappointment that the Nintendo Switch 2 is exactly what everyone thought it’d be.
Even before the controversial Nintendo Switch 2 news dropped (primarily the prices of first party games), not everyone was fully enamoured with the new hardware once it was properly unveiled.
There are those who feel Nintendo is playing things too safe with the Switch 2, arguing that it lacks innovation and is too straightforward a hardware upgrade.
It turns out one of those people is former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida, who has been quite vocal with his disappointment in the Switch 2, going so far as to say Nintendo is simply following the crowd.
Yoshida was already quite negative when he reacted to the Nintendo Direct earlier this month, which he considered underwhelming aside from the announcement of The Duskbloods – the next game from FromSoftware.
More recently, Yoshida made an appearance on the Easy Allies podcast, where he was asked to go more in-depth on his Switch 2 thoughts (his comments start from the 8:47 mark).
While he gave it some praise, Yoshida revealed he was ultimately disappointed that the console is exactly what everyone expected.
‘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,’ explained Yoshida. ‘For me, they’re always about creating some new experience, like designing hardware and games together to create something that amazing new experience [sic].’
With Nintendo focusing on making the new console a stronger Switch, Yoshida feels that the company is aping its contemporaries: ‘Because it’s a better Switch, the core premise of the whole Switch 2 is ‘we made things better’. And that’s something other companies have been doing all the time.’
As a reminder, the Switch 2 is not without some new gimmicks to further differentiate itself from the original, in particular its new mouse controls. In fact, Yoshida expressed excitement for Drag X Drive, which only uses mouse controllers, for being ‘very Nintendo.’
Yoshida does acknowledge that the Switch 2 being more powerful isn’t inherently a bad thing, especially since it allows more third party games to appear on the system.
But he feels this is only a benefit for those who missed out on games like Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077 the first time around, arguing that ‘core gamers’ like himself will have already experienced these games on other platforms.
He’s also as perplexed as everyone else is, over Nintendo’s decision to charge money for Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, even calling it an ‘opportunity loss’ for the company. While it still lacks a UK price, it’ll cost $10 in the US, which is roughly £7.50.
‘I just don’t understand,’ said Yoshida. ‘You would want everyone to experience that, right? You would have a better understanding of the Switch 2 and become a fan of the system.’
Considering how profitable the original Switch has been (it’s the third best-selling console ever) and how much of a failure the more gimmicky Wii U was, it may be in everyone’s best interests that Nintendo play things a little more safely for now.
Yoshida’s continued criticism also seems a little one-sided given he no longer works at Sony and is free to say whatever he likes about PlayStation, which has never gone out on a limb with hardware innovations like the Wii or Switch.
So far though, he has offered little real criticism of his former employer, during what continues to be a very controversial generation for PlayStation. Although he did previously imply he would’ve tried to resist the current push for live service games.
How much would you pay for Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour? (Nintendo)
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