Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida has shared his thoughts on the Nintendo Switch 2, saying Nintendo is "losing their identity" with the console due to its lack of new and exciting features. Appearing on the Easy Allies podcast, Yoshida said, "I have to be polite," adding, "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."
Yoshida, in his decades of experience working in the video game industry, said he observed over the years that Nintendo always stood out by creating some kind of "new experience" that no one saw coming.
"But Switch 2, as we all anticipated, is a better Switch, right? It's a larger screen, more powerful processor, higher resolution, 4K 120fps. They even had their hardware person starting the stream as other platforms do," he said. "And 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."
Yoshida did, however, praise Nintendo for the Switch 2's new mouse controls, saying the Drag X Drive game is "very Nintendo." But overall, Yoshida said he was "a bit disappointed" with the Switch 2 and the response from fans. People were not generally disappointed, Yoshida observed, and this suggests that all people really wanted was a "better Switch."
The Switch is the No. 2 best-selling console ever, with more than 150 million units sold.
When the Switch 2 was unveiled in January, Yoshida said he was surprised by the console's lack of surprises, so hearing him double down on that line of thinking makes sense.
For what it's worth, Nintendo has maintained from the onset that the Switch 2 is "a new system with improved performance." The company said the aim is that it becomes "the new standard for Nintendo Switch," which is why the company named it Nintendo Switch 2.
The Switch 2's development director, Takuhiro Dohta, went on to say that the Switch 2 is not aimed at people who prefer "high-performance hardware," but instead its ambition is to be a product that can appeal to the widest possible audience. "So, we wanted a name that would communicate simply to potential customers that, if you're considering buying a Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 is the newest system," Dohta said.
Another Switch 2 designer, Tetsuya Sasaki, said the name "Switch 2" is "simple and easy to understand." Sasaki added that it was always the plan for the system to be a "proper successor to Switch," so keeping the same name made sense.
Yoshida left PlayStation in early 2025 after 30 years with the company. Since leaving Sony he's been very outspoken in interviews, freely speaking his mind on a range of topics.
Yoshida also made headlines recently for saying he would have "resisted" Sony's push into live-service games and that he was surprised Horizon Forbidden West didn't sell as well as expected. Yoshida also talked about why there hasn't been a Bloodborne remaster yet.
The Switch 2 launches on June 5. Nintendo announced a $450 price point for the console, but some fear Nintendo may raise the price due to Trump's tariffs. Other experts believe Nintendo will not.
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Yoshida, in his decades of experience working in the video game industry, said he observed over the years that Nintendo always stood out by creating some kind of "new experience" that no one saw coming.
"But Switch 2, as we all anticipated, is a better Switch, right? It's a larger screen, more powerful processor, higher resolution, 4K 120fps. They even had their hardware person starting the stream as other platforms do," he said. "And 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."
Special guest Shuhei Yoshida gets real about the Switch 2 pic.twitter.com/CzZYPnTtue
— Easy Allies (@EasyAllies) April 14, 2025
Yoshida did, however, praise Nintendo for the Switch 2's new mouse controls, saying the Drag X Drive game is "very Nintendo." But overall, Yoshida said he was "a bit disappointed" with the Switch 2 and the response from fans. People were not generally disappointed, Yoshida observed, and this suggests that all people really wanted was a "better Switch."
The Switch is the No. 2 best-selling console ever, with more than 150 million units sold.
When the Switch 2 was unveiled in January, Yoshida said he was surprised by the console's lack of surprises, so hearing him double down on that line of thinking makes sense.
For what it's worth, Nintendo has maintained from the onset that the Switch 2 is "a new system with improved performance." The company said the aim is that it becomes "the new standard for Nintendo Switch," which is why the company named it Nintendo Switch 2.
The Switch 2's development director, Takuhiro Dohta, went on to say that the Switch 2 is not aimed at people who prefer "high-performance hardware," but instead its ambition is to be a product that can appeal to the widest possible audience. "So, we wanted a name that would communicate simply to potential customers that, if you're considering buying a Switch, Nintendo Switch 2 is the newest system," Dohta said.
Another Switch 2 designer, Tetsuya Sasaki, said the name "Switch 2" is "simple and easy to understand." Sasaki added that it was always the plan for the system to be a "proper successor to Switch," so keeping the same name made sense.
Yoshida left PlayStation in early 2025 after 30 years with the company. Since leaving Sony he's been very outspoken in interviews, freely speaking his mind on a range of topics.
Yoshida also made headlines recently for saying he would have "resisted" Sony's push into live-service games and that he was surprised Horizon Forbidden West didn't sell as well as expected. Yoshida also talked about why there hasn't been a Bloodborne remaster yet.
The Switch 2 launches on June 5. Nintendo announced a $450 price point for the console, but some fear Nintendo may raise the price due to Trump's tariffs. Other experts believe Nintendo will not.
Source