The Nintendo Switch 2 caused a problem for game designer and director Hideki Kamiya, who finds the lack of one hardware feature a problem, especially when playing in dockless mode. The Nintendo Switch 2 has proven to be one of the hottest video game consoles out there, but despite this success, it hasn't come without its critics, including those from within the business.
Kamiya is one such highly respected name in the gaming industry, having designed or directed some of Capcom's best games of the late 1990s and early 2000s. The plays he directed in this time frame include Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry, Eyesand Careful Joewhile also having credit for original game design Resident Evil Zero. After leaving Capcom in 2006, he helped found Platinum Games, where he remained until 2023, and has since founded Clovers Inc, which is working on an untitled sequel to the game. Eyes.
Hideki Kamiya suggests that all his games take place in the same universe
Game director Hideki Kamiya, who is behind Okami and Bayonetta, confirms that all the games he's directed exist in the same universe.
Hideki Kamiya has a problem with the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware
While plenty of Kamiya's games are available to play on Nintendo hardware, he recently expressed some displeasure with the Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con controllers, specifically pointing out that the lack of a D-pad makes many classic games uncomfortable to play. In an interview with 4Gamer, Kamiya stated that he has had a Nintendo Switch 2 since the console was first released when he won the lottery to pick it up on launch day, although the original model had been staying with his niece since he first bragged to her about buying it. Having only recently bought her a second Switch 2 and getting her first one back, she's now finding that the lack of a D-pad on the left Joy-Con is interfering with her enjoyment of the game. “This just didn't fit into my gaming lifestyle, where I usually play lying down, so I'm left with no choice but to use the Joy-Con to play games,” he explained.
The lack of a D-pad is not a new problem for Nintendo. The original Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons, released in 2017, also lacked a D-Pad, something Kamiya also pointed out. And while players can combine Switch and Switch 2 Joy-Cons on the newer console, they can't physically attach older Joy-Cons to the hub unit due to their smaller size and lack of magnetic connectors. Optionally, players can choose to play with the Pro Controller, although playing in undocked mode still presents a problem with this method, or they can purchase a third-party peripheral that features a D-pad.
For Kamiya, this last option provided a window of opportunity to get his daily dose of games Tetris 99but some extra elbow grease was needed. After purchasing a third-party peripheral for the original Switch, he said he was able to grind it down and modify it to work in untethered mode, though not every gamer would be willing to put in that much work just to have a customizable control experience on the Switch 2, and Kamiya seemed to indicate that he had more fun making the gadget than actually using it. “However, the fact that even talking about games turned into anecdotes about crafting is probably proof that I was more passionate about making plastic models than I was about games,” he said during the interview.
Despite some criticisms, the hybrid console is doing phenomenally well in the market, with millions of players picking it up since its release on June 5th. Initial sales of the Nintendo Switch 2 reached 6 million units within the first 25 days of release, outpacing sales of the original Nintendo Switch by more than double. By the end of September, the latest published official data from Nintendo pushed that sales number up to 10.36 million. Nearly three months later and with the holidays quickly approaching, Nintendo Switch 2 sales totals could easily rise again after Nintendo releases another batch of numbers, though some believe it could be even better with the addition of the D-pad.
- Mark
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Nintendo
- Original release date
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June 5, 2025
- Original MSRP (USD)
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$449.99
- Operating system
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Proprietary
- Resolution
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1080p (handheld) / 4K (docked)
- HDR support
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Yes
