Summary
Former Blizzard and Xbox exec Mike Ybarra had two words for theNintendo Switch 2: “Hard pass.” While Nintendo’s hour-long April 2 Direct was full of surprises for some fans, not everyone found these surprises to be welcome. TheNintendo Switch 2has faced its fair share of backlash since the presentation, including some from former industry executives.
Nintendo did not announce any pricing information during the Direct itself, but the press releases and official listings that came after left some with a good deal of sticker shock. The console will cost $450 in the US, and some games will cost $80 or more, depending on the edition. Many fans were not happy about the prices and even less happy about the lack of transparency, with someformer Nintendo PR managers calling Nintendo “disrespectful"for what felt like a purposeful omission of these details.
Following the Direct, former President of Blizzard and ex-Corporate VP of Microsoft Mike Ybarra criticized the system on Twitter. After saying the Switch 2 is a “hard pass” for him, Ybarra expressed his discontentment with how games likeMario Kart Worldwill cost $80 and the console as a whole will cost more despite “low frames.” He’s far from the first to point these things out, withfans immediately roasting Nintendo on Redditfor the high price of Switch 2 games and having to pay for next-gen upgrades for titles players already own.
Ex-Blizzard President Mike Ybarra Criticizes Switch 2’s Pricing and Performance
Ybarra went on to call out the Switch 2 heavily marketing its in-game chat feature, which Nintendo is late to the party to support compared to other companies, and saidTears of the Kingdom"looks like a game from 2000” in response to it running in 4K at 60fps on the Switch 2. Other former gaming execs have had similar reactions. Ex-PlayStation executiveShuhei Yoshida called the Switch 2 Direct “underwhelming,“citing its lack of new game announcements. Yoshida also expressed surprise at how much it costs, although he praised the console’s social features.
While specific criticisms vary, the Switch 2’s pricing, both of the console itself and its first-party games, seems to be among its most controversial aspects. While an $80 price tag forMario Kartmay be shocking, manyolderMario Karttitles cost $80 or more when adjusting for inflation, although that argument may not go far, considering other studios have kept their games around the $60 to $70 mark. How these prices and other much-debated features affect the Switch 2’s sales performance is yet to be seen, but the growing outcry against it is likely not the reaction Nintendo was hoping for.
