Nintendo is stopping online services support for 3DS and Wii U.
Nintendo Wii U and 3DS owners only have a limited time, a few months, to continue experiencing online communication, cooperative play, and rankings on these platforms.
If you own a Nintendo Wii or the 3DS handheld console, you may be aware that the Japanese gaming giant announced that it was going to shut down the online servers for these devices in April, 2024. But now, we have the exact date this will take place. An official support announcement from Nintendo has revealed that the disconnection is set to take place at 4 PM PDT on April 8, 2024.
This implies that users of these consoles have only a limited time, a few months, to continue experiencing online communication, cooperative play, and rankings on these platforms.
This applies to the following variants of the consoles:
– New Nintendo 3DS
– New Nintendo 3DS XL
– New Nintendo 2DS XL
– Nintendo 3DS
– Nintendo 3DS XL
– Nintendo 2DS
– Wii U Deluxe
– Wii U Basic
Nintendo has also communicated that they must complete the transfer of any remaining shop balance to link it with their Nintendo account by March 11 at 10 PM PT. Once linked, this balance can be utilized for acquiring games on a Nintendo Switch. Regarding previous purchases, users will retain the ability to download purchased games and update data, as well as download DLC from the Nintendo eShop.
That said, this change will impact not only the entire user base of 75 million Nintendo 3DS owners but also approximately 13 million Nintendo Wii U users. While they can still use their consoles for offline enjoyment, the online functionality will be disabled. Consequently, engaging in activities like Pokémon battles with friends and purchasing new titles will no longer be possible.
Nintendo discontinued the production of the 3DS in 2020, now marking almost four years since its discontinuation. The Nintendo Wii U, succeeding the Nintendo Wii, was also discontinued in 2017, coinciding with the launch year of the Nintendo Switch.
