Since the latest Nintendo Direct presentation earlier this month, the gaming industry has been abuzz with anticipation for the Nintendo Switch 2. However, while plenty of big names in the gaming sphere are already singing the praises of the Switch 2, Shuhei Yoshida, ex-PlayStation producer and former president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, is a bit more skeptical about the hybrid console, suggesting that Nintendo isn’t offering the sort of exciting innovation it has in the past.
Yoshida made the comments in an interview with EasyAllies, telling viewers that the Switch 2 reveal was “a bit of a mixed message from Nintendo. In a sense, I think Nintendo is losing their identity, in my opinion.” In the full quote, Yoshida points to the emphasis on hardware upgrades rather than fun new features, suggesting that Nintendo is becoming more like other gaming companies with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2.
While Yoshida certainly has a point about Nintendo traditionally offering more substantial gaming innovations, it’s also fair to say that the Switch 2 does have some fresh features, most notably the mouse control functionality we experienced in our Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on preview. It’s also worth pointing out that there’s a lot more portable competition than there was in 2017, when the original Switch launched, and Nintendo now has to fend off some of the options from our guide to the best handheld consoles, such as the Steam Deck OLED and the Asus ROG Ally X.
Still, we see his argument in that this console feels more like an iterative update than almost anything we’ve seen from Nintendo before, perhaps barring the 3DS. From a purely design point of view, the Switch 2 is incredibly similar to the original model; it’s just bigger. Still, at least in my opinion, I’m very excited about the Nintendo Switch 2 release date rolling around. I love my original Switch, and I expect I’ll love this, too. If I’m the market that Nintendo is aiming for, I can’t anticipate the hybrid console being anything but a major success, even if Yoshida isn’t sold yet.
Of course, the lack of innovation isn’t the only contentious point surrounding Nintendo’s upcoming console, with the Nintendo Switch 2’s price raising some eyebrows. If you’re one of the many still debating whether you think it’s worth putting in your Nintendo Switch 2 pre-order or spending your money elsewhere, be sure to check out our guides to the best retro handhelds and the best Steam Deck alternatives to see if anything else catches your eye.