Everyone's been sharing their thoughts about the Nintendo Switch 2 over the past few days, including former Xbox veteran and Blizzard president Mike Ybarra, who hasn't been shy in revealing his dislike for the system.
In a series of posts on social media, Ybarra criticised the Switch 2's high price along with the "$80 games", as well as the GameChat feature, Cyberpunk 2077's reported 40FPS performance, and even Zelda's "2000"-like graphics!
So, yeah... definitely a "strong" stance as one commenter mentioned! Ybarra also noted in another reply that based on his experience, although the Switch 2 appears to reach 1080p/60FPS (handheld) and 4K/60FPS (docked), people should "never believe frames in marketing material until 3rd party folks test it and publish results in games."
Of course, he's not saying he'll never get one in the future, but he's clearly not impressed at first glance. I'll be honest, although I don't feel as strongly as Ybarra does, I'm struggling to get excited by the Switch 2 at the moment as well! Hopefully in a couple of years' time, it'll have an amazing library that makes it a must-buy system though.
Do you with agree with this stance, or is it too harsh in your opinion? Let us know in the comments below.
Comments 66
I'm not sure the console does feel that pricey. The games might do though. Game Chat doesn't appeal to me at all, but it's not targeting me. Nintendo will have me buying their consoles as long as they have Mario Kart and Mario platformers, as they provide such joy. I've got my pre-order in, and am very excited for Switch 2.
Mr Yes Man says no.
Well it's going to sell bucket loads regardless of what this irrelevant person has to say!
Not everything needs to be 4k 60fps dlss kcf123 ray tracing poo particles!
Never heard of this guy until today, not sure how he or his opinions are relevant especially since Microsoft fired him.
Former Blizzard staff? Has this guy forgotten what Overwatch 2 looks like and plays like? He's probably just bitter to see people appreciating actual good games rather than all the sloppy flops he oversaw lol.
I love my Steam Deck, but for price comparison sake.......
I don't see how this is a 450$ system, unless they are upcharging to have Nvidia and Nintendo labels on the same box
Unfortunately , yes, i am buying the nintendo sh** 2, because of FOMO & because of smash bros and mario kart. i 100% agree with this guy though, but Nintendo is the golden child of the industry so any legit criticisms of their overpriced outdated hardware and overpriced outdated games or paywalled outdated online always gets glossed over
I had been holding out getting my kids OG switches, thinking I’d just get them a Switch 2...but now I’ll probs just buy them used OG Switches.
@LonR of course it’ll dominate sales, it’s the new toy. Those same people buying the switch 2 already have their Xboxes or PS5s at home.
The Switch 2 Game chat with share your game screen(picture in picture) looked terrible, around 10fps on the animations and they would of been using top end internet connections.
@LonR
You "agenda people" are a laugh🙃
PJ is actually a double agent, I'm sure he'll sort out the riff raff....😂
@TruestoryYep wow i love how personal opinions always leads to personal attacks with gamers. expressing your dislike for a game or hardware ? time to check your personal background 💀
Nice to see someone call out some home truths. The only thing I'd be interested in at launch is Mario kart world, and I'm not paying £500 for one game, I barely play no 8. The overwhelming rest of titles are all titles I've already played with better performance and specs, I do not buy new consoles to play old games. Once it has a decent library of fresh games I may get one, but right now, not interested.
Saves me money though!
Of course it will sell like hot cakes anyway, and if you are someone who wants it bad, I'm not trying to turn you off, I just don't know what you been smoking! I hope and expect people will have fun with it, just not for me, and I normally buy everything at release...
It's interesting to me seeing people from developed countries talking about the cost of hardware and software. I wonder how many would still be gamers in a developing country. Or even worse, how many would have been gamers at all in decades past when you could easily pay $400+ for a $200 console and $120 for a $50 game. All that while making about 30% as much money and inflation issues being a constant in your life and not a post-pandemic / post-tafiff thing.
Anyway. I've got my S2+MKW on Amazon Spain and got DKB from another store for 50 euro.
@nomither6 He doesn't have a modern console, he's only here to simp for Nintendo, guy gets agitated if we don't all bow 🤣
I'll never understand why his sort just don't go to Nintendo life where they can all pat each other on the back for finally getting game chat in 2025...
Not for me, not until way into it's lifecycle. I love mario and Zelda but every 3rd party game that comes out on it will play better on my series X or Rog ally.
It's a cool product though, I've no doubt it'll sell gangbusters and provide a good target for developers who want to release on everything
It is what it is and it will sell probably over 100 million and millions of games and subscriptions and controllers and things.
It’s how to run a console business and it is a business.
Like the movies and theme parks and merchandise machine that Nintendo is.
Being the only true games company that Nintendo is, I really like to back them.
At least with Mario Kart world and Donkey Kong Bananza they believe in generations.
That’s more a punt at team blue 🤣
Like all nintendo systems, there will be much better places to play 3rd party games (pretty much anywhere else will be better). It comes down to how badly you want to play the exclusives. There is nothing about the switch 2 that makes me think I need one at launch. Maybe year 2 or 3 I will see a lineup of games that makes me want to jump in but I think I'm going to wait and see.
I was really into the switch 1 in it's first few years but my nostalgia is satiated for the time being and don't really feel the need to play anything nintendo has to offer, especially at these prices. For now, it's a pass for me too.
@nomither6 lmao
What is he going to say when both Xbox and PS also charge £80? - and when he realises the Xbox handheld will cost more?
Pretty stupid posts imo, especially coming from a gaming exec.
He sounds like a 15year old xbox or ps fanboy that needs to crap on other consoles other than his favorite.
I don't recall any game from Blizzard that comes close to the fun I had while playing Zelda TOTK. Maybe the original starcraft, but that was what, 25 years ago?
@PsBoxSwitchOwner Yes they all will follow now thanks to Nintendo's greed, they will be on record as the company that lead the $80 game initiative. You're really pro companies ripping us off?
I guess this is why this guy is an ex-employee?
Games might be a bit pricey, but console most definitely is not compared to what is out there in the here and now. It's debatable if a price hike would have happened either way, or Nintendo will cause it. Many people predicted GTA6 to be the cause and turning point, either way I personally believe it was always in the cards (as much as I hate it).
Not for the lunch but surely when a new Zelda game or Xenoblade comes out.
I’m also underwhelmed. If it enhanced switch 1 games out of the box, and if it was launching with some stuff I was actually interested in, it might be another story.
Paying for updates, and the $80 game prices, and the lack of stuff I care about… makes it a harder sell.
@Juanalf not at all. No where have I said that. So how you come to that leap is beyond me.
But is he going to jump down Sony/xbox throat when they follow and increase the price? I doubt it.
Will he say anything when the asus/xbox handheld is more expensive?
You can’t just rail on one company when all 3 will do the same.
@PsBoxSwitchOwner Sorry mate, buts that's bull.
It's Nintendo who are charging that for games and no other company has indicated it will follow. They are even charging for the guide software that introduces the consoles features, how can you simp for that?
He can and should rail on one company when we've waited so many years for an update and the big reveal is a chat button, yet another Mario kart, and lots of worse versions of games we've already played.
Quite frankly the price of an unannounced handheld pc has absolutely nothing to do with this, you are making zero sense at all.
I'll probs get one once there's a few compelling new titles, but we didn't see them yesterday.
@LonR Given that preorders for the Switch 2 don’t start till next week…
@jesse_dylan It does enhance some Switch games out of the box. Nintendo announced a few like Mario Odyssey, LoZ Link’s Awakening and Echoes of Wisdom, as well as Captain Toad. And dear god, those two LoZ titles need the boost, speaking from personal experience…
It isn’t all money-gouging game upgrades. There’s free boosts out there too.
I'm a bit of a recluse when it comes to my game time, so the new chat and camera feature doesn't appeal to me at all. I also use my Switch in handheld 100% of the time for the games I play, so the JoyCon/Mouse gimmick I don't see myself using.
To be honest, I don't really play any premium games on it either, so upgrading feels pointless. Also, I'm not ashamed to say, the cost is just too much at the moment and I can't justify paying those prices for games.
Lol and we should take this non important person Serious?
Will buy it day one.
The opinions of other people don't matter to me at this point. I paid up my preorder in full yesterday for the Mario Kart World bundle on ShopTo (UK retailer). And honestly, personally I'm more excited by this than I have been for the output of both Xbox and PlayStation in the last couple of years. As far as those two go it's been a very underwhelming "generation" for me.
Not to mention my health is deteriorating and I'm slowly dying and can't take the money to the grave so might as well enjoy the time I have left.
I predict that scalpers will buy up every available Switch 2 then turn around and sell them at absurd prices on ebay. After the the die hard fans have gotten there consoles the sales will drop off since both the ps6 and next generation Xbox will be launching. I also predict that the next generation Xbox will be launching in 2026 likely in the summer. It's very hard to find any Series X that are available for sale likely due to MS shifting production to the next Xbox. My prediction is that the next generation Xbox will launch at close to the price of the Xbox Series X.
@nomither6
I think the price has to be taken in account in relationship to the prior Switch that was eight years ago, the lack of any price cuts this generation, widespread, inflation, and comparable handheld such as Asus, Lenovo and Steam. How much above the base Series S would you pay to shrink it down to the point you could carry it and play it on a 120 Hz screen. I own a Series S, and the television did not come with it. I also have a PS 5, and I’m not a console warrior.
@GADG3Tx87 Sorry to hear about your bad health dude. I hope you have more time left than you realise, but you are so right to get what you want when you want.
I hope you love it for decades to come...
I imported a PS2 from Japan at launch in 2000, no single game looked as good as TOTK (and obviously no PS1/64/DC game did either.) Post-launch I got a few more, DOA2, X-Squad, Driving Emotion Type S..... Obviously TOTK is superior to 2000 games! That was a silly comment haha
Switch is a toy in my eyes and at that price it's not one I'm rushing out for. The kids were supposed to save up and buy it for themselves like the last one but that $800 CAD post tax price is just too much! Might have to help them out with now lol. Eventually we'll get it I'm sure but in a year or two. All this recession talk ain't ideal to launch such an expensive kids toy with higher priced games.... timing us really off for them.
I’m sure there’s a lot of us Xbox fans that also grew up on Nintendo. Love both, but Nintendo will always remain my number one specifically because of Mario, Zelda, and fond memories of playing Bubble Bobble, Robowarrior and Sim City with my mom.
That said, and yes I’ll be trying to get it at launch, I can’t say I’m happy about prices, price increases, and paid for upgrades. I understand remaking a game to take advantage of specific Switch 2 features…. But there should be free performance/visual upgrades for those of us who don’t really care about the extra bells and whistles like built in guides, game chat, or mouse control options (tho this will be amazing for Civ 6/7!, and possibly EA tossing Sims 1&2 Legacy collections out way)
I’m still excited, and honestly impressed at the initial performance previews as well as the 120hz screen w VRR. Truly awesome considering 3 of 4 of its primary handheld competitors don’t offer that , only Ally does.
@Titntin
Thank you for the kind words sir.
Without going into too much detail I've been in bad health for years to do with my brain. Two weeks back I woke up in hospital after the most recent incident with no memory. Doctor told me I was lucky to survive it this time. Which hearing things like that puts it into perspective.
After I'd already ordered my Switch 2 my brother called me hesitating asking if I genuinely thought it was worth it. My response was simple. If two weeks ago taught me anything it's that you never know what tomorrow will bring. And you never know when your time's up, so enjoy it while you can if it's something that will bring you joy and you can afford it. I'll never force anyone to think like me, but that is all I can give is my advice and experience. I'm sure I'll have fun with it and that's what life is all about while you're here. And I wish anyone to enjoy their life in any way that brings them happiness.
The man does a lot of complaining lately... Take it with a pinch of salt. Sure, the S2 reveal wasn't "all that" it could have been, but it still has an impressively dedicated fan base that will pick it up regardless as to what this gremlin says.
@GADG3Tx87 I'm turning 61 this year and have a health condition that means I'm being retired on medical grounds now, so I genuinely share many of your thoughts.
I have never played my switch undocked, so I'm definitely not target audience for this machine. Even so, I'd be all over it if I didn't want a second ps5 pro in the next month or two! I'm likely to pick it up before years end anyway and by then there will be more Nintendo titles that will make it worthwhile. Please let me know which ones I should look out for as the year rolls on!
@Titntin
I'm kinda the opposite and mostly play my Switch in handheld either when I'm travelling or having an early night in bed. Mario Kart World really wowed me at the opening presentation and that alone is when I knew I'd want one at launch. Mario Kart 8 has overstayed it's welcome since the WiiU so a new entry is a welcome sight. And the new concept of an open world is very exciting.
I've still got plenty of Switch 1 games to get through, to my shame I've still yet to finish Tears of the Kingdom 😂. And I still want to pick up Echoes of Wisdom. I have a suspicion that we may soon see a remake (switch version) of Twilight Princess. It's odd that they announced the GameCube emulation with Wind Waker but not TP? which leads me to think it's possible a remake is coming and they'll want to entice people by possible holding back on a GC port. And speaking of the GameCube emulation I hope at long last they use it to raise a port of Metal Gear Solid The Twin Snakes from the grave. It only ever released on the GC and scoring a physical copy nowadays is pretty hard to do at a reasonable price.
I'm a Nintendo boy since SNES. Nintendo Switch was the first Nintendo console I didn't get (or request) at launch. It's also the most disappointing Nintendo console ever (Virtual Boy didn't exist here). I watched the Nintendo Direct and even Digital Foundry's long video. Everything about Switch 2 is a disappointment, especially paying extra just because the original Switch was not able to play first-party games at 60fps! I don't like how the new Donkey Kong game plays. I'm only interested in Mario Kart World and Metroid Prime 4, but I'm willing to wait a long time for that while I'm playing my backlog and new games on Series X... and old Nintendo games on Switch, Wii U, SNES Mini and New Nintendo 3DS.
Side note: I predict an even more expensive model with an OLED screen and 512GB of internal storage.
@GADG3Tx87 My best wishes to you!
@LaurenceJ1987 yep same here, pre-order today. as i never had a Switch , i have loads of games i can buy used as well.
He looks like a kid lmao.
Switch 2 is great. Its still cheaper at 450 than steam deck and PC handhelds and for sure is a decent next gen compared to switch 1.
I do agree on greedy tactics with $80 pricing. Thats disgusting.
Paid upgrades are not new and we can thank Sony.
The thing is Nintendo have actual real proper exclusives so if you are interested in their games - you dont have a choice. Plus a unique form factor so makes sense why they are best selling console with best selling games.
It’s a choice between $80 games and no games
Strong opinion which we’re becoming accustomed to from Americans these days.
@Titntin but you're not paying £500 for one game. Your paying £450 to own the system for the 8 years of games it will get.
Removed - trolling/baiting
I’ll be there day 1. I don’t like the game pricing but there’s nothing like Nintendo games.
Hardware wise the system is pretty great for a handheld - 4K on tv, 1080p handheld, 120Hz, VRR, HDR, DLSS. Metroid, Mario Kart and Donkey Kong looked good to me. And I’ve been holding off playing most new Switch 1 games for a year or so and appreciate the upgrade to 1440p @ 60fps + HDR. I’ll have quite a few games to play.
In terms of game prices I tend to mostly only buy/play Nintendo games on their console as I have better hardware for third party games (XSX/PS5 Pro) so in reality this will likely only be two or three games a year at the higher price, which is manageable.
Will I get Switch 2 at launch? No. But will I get it eventually? Yeah I will.
Game price will be an issue but so far MK World is 80 while others are likely to be 70 at most (might be lower at 60 depending on the game). But Nintendo games are generally highly quality so.. yeah let’s wait and see.
@dreadful No. If there's currently just one game I want to play, then I'll be paying to play just one game. I will get it when there's further titles I want to play,.
I'd never buy a system that doesn't have at least a handful of titles I'm interested in, never have, never will, and Nintendo systems are always my least used. I never play portable so I'm going to pay for hardware I just don't use anyway, I'm more than content to wait, as I'm not missing anything except much poorer versions of games I've already played..
That's rich, coming from an obscenity wealthy mouthpiece like this dude. What a joke.
@GADG3Tx87 beat wishes to you and I hope you enjoy your switch 2
@KITG_Group_BrunoB You're in for such a treat with some Switch games. There are probably loads of great games I didn't play because I just don't have time. But I'm a big Mario platformer fan, and love Mario Kart, so I'm one of those people who would buy the new Nintendo console even if nothing else was on it!
I have a huge backlog on my oled switch 1. By the time I'm through it the Xbox handheld will be here and that will be far more desirable.
I was excited for the Switch2, then found out about the £75 price of games, which instantly turned me off. Also, apparently its minimum battery life is 2hrs! Games I’d like to play (like Cyberpunk) wud probably kill the battery immediately.
So, I'll stick with my Switch1 OLED (which I still have a massive backlog with), & original SteamDeck LCD.
Titntin wrote:
this is me exactly, I only ever play Mario Kart on all my Nintendo systems since Gamecube. Maybe a little Pikmin. Hard to justify this right now in my family.
I said this last gen too, I really wish Nintendo would release a screen less, battery less version with no portability. I used my Switch once ever in handheld mode. It's a complete waste of money for me and I'm sure im not alone.
@CallMeDuraSouka Id take the switch 2 over the steam deck anyday. I got a 512gb steam deck at launch, it just sits there and even before it sat there it was essentially relegated to being a remote play device for xbox.
Its too bulky and hot. I dont want to have to tinker to optimize things, just want them to work.
As such, I play my portal and switch 1 infinitely more. The switch 2 looks nice and simple, light, and likely not hot.
$500 is fine for a device like this. That said, if the tariffs make it $650 then id have an issue. The games are definately overpriced though.
Who gives a **** what he thinks? He talks as much rubbish as most of the fanboys on Twitter
@Banjo- as a Nintendo fan I just kept thinking I play portable only 20% of the time. If there was any world that they would have made a switch 2 tv only console for the price of a series s I would have been there day one. Now who know.
@Runex2121 I think the price is fine if you’re an adult. But this is a lot to ask for a product to hand to kids. So yes it might be priced reasonably to other handhelds. But those handhelds aren’t targeting kids. That’s a big difference.
Mike was always a nobhead when he worked at MS. Seems not much has changed.
@sixrings I'm also a Nintendo fan and Switch 2 is almost the opposite of what you, I and many others would like, it's a premium reiteration with repackaged games, like Switch did after Wii U, but what's Nintendo's excuse now? it's pretty obvious that Nintendo has changed and it's greedier than ever before. The president is an accountant, after all.
Eh each to their own. I have one on preorder for the 7th June thanks to a friend lending me their spare Amazon invite slot. I’m super excited to play Metroid Prime 4 on it. That’s the power of having exclusive games I guess, not something that anyone working in Xbox could ever comprehend. 120Hz VRR display is super cool for a handheld, helps soften the blow of no OLED - even the mighty Steam Deck lacks VRR so this is a big revolution for gaming handhelds.
Will the more casual gamer be willing to stump up the cash for one of these? They won't get 100 million sales without those guys, but I'm not convinced many parents will be too enthusiastic to stump up 450+ (not even considering the impact of tariffs at this point) for the kids. I hope I'm wrong, but I think the S2 is not going to meet expectations. The WiiU came off the back of one the most successful consoles of all time, and floundered. Will lightening strike twice?
@LaurenceJ1987 For me it's Zelda , i have a few Mario games, but Legend of Zelda is what does it for me on Nintendo platforms.
I just wish for a new Wave Race , Fzero and 1080 snowboarding.
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