Two words sum up former Blizzard and Xbox executive Mike Ybarra’s feelings about the new Nintendo Switch 2: “Hard pass.” While some fans were delighted with the surprises unveiled during Nintendo’s April 2 Direct, not everyone shared this sentiment – especially not industry insiders like Ybarra, who have been vocal about the console’s shortcomings.
Nintendo left pricing details hanging during their presentation, a mystery that turned into shock once press releases filled in the blanks: a $450 price tag for the console in the US, with certain games hitting $80 or more. Many fans felt blindsided by the steep cost and criticized Nintendo’s decision to withhold these crucial details during the Direct. Even some former Nintendo PR managers chimed in, labeling the omission as “disrespectful.”
Mike Ybarra wasn’t shy about sharing his disappointment, taking to Twitter to criticize both the pricing and the performance of the Switch 2. He was particularly miffed that players would need to shell out $80 for games like Mario Kart World, while the console itself costs more despite what he dubbed “low frames.” This didn’t sit well with fans either, who quickly took to Reddit to air their grievances about the pricey games and the costs associated with upgrading to new versions of existing titles.
Ybarra wasn’t alone in his discontent. Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida echoed some of his sentiments, finding the lack of new game announcements during the Direct underwhelming, though he did have positive things to say about the console’s social features. Even so, the pricing of the Switch 2 left him and many others scratching their heads.
Diving deeper, Ybarra criticized Nintendo for making a big deal about its in-game chat feature, which lags behind other companies’ offerings. He sarcastically likened Tears of the Kingdom’s visuals to something right out of the year 2000, despite it being billed as running at 4K and 60fps. While others might defend an $80 price tag by referencing historical costs adjusted for inflation, it’s a hard sell when many contemporary studios maintain their game prices around $60 to $70.
How the Switch 2 fares in terms of sales remains to be seen, but the early backlash over pricing and features is certainly not what Nintendo had in mind. With many voices from both fans and industry veterans converging around this sentiment, the company might have to brace for a less-than-warm reception unless it takes steps to address these widespread concerns.
