Shuhei Yoshida Criticizes $9.99 Price Tag for Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour
Shuhei Yoshida, former president of Sony Interactive Entertainment, has shared his thoughts on the controversy surrounding *Welcome Tour*, a $9.99 interactive experience launching alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5.
*Welcome Tour* is designed to introduce players to the Switch 2’s features through minigames, tech demos, and quizzes. While Nintendo describes it as an “interactive exhibit,” the decision to charge for it has sparked backlash. Many fans believe it should be a free pack-in title, similar to *Astro’s Playroom* on PS5 or *Wii Sports* on the Wii.
Speaking on the Easy Allies podcast, Yoshida expressed confusion over the price, saying, “I just don’t understand. You would want everyone to experience that, right?” He called it an “opportunity loss for Nintendo,” suggesting that a free version could have helped more players understand and appreciate the new console.
Yoshida also speculated that Nintendo may want to preserve the value of its software or avoid free-to-play offerings altogether. Nintendo, for its part, has defended the $9.99 price, stating that *Welcome Tour* is deeper than expected and involved significant development.
Whether fans will embrace *Welcome Tour* at launch remains to be seen, but the pricing debate continues to stir discussion ahead of the Switch 2 release.
