Nintendo to discontinue the 3DS and Wii U  eshops  in 2023

Last updated on December 20th, 2023 at 10:16 pm

Nintendo will be shutting down the eShop for 3DS and Wii U consoles. While the final closure will be in late March 2023, the company planned a stage-wise closure from May 2022. 

After March 2023, you won’t be able to buy or download free content (including the demo videos) for Wii U and 3DS. The announcement by Nintendo says that you will still continue to receive and redownload games, software updates, and play online games for a considerable time. Let’s note that the company is making no changes to Nintendo Switch. It will remain the same. 

As of 23rd May 2022, you can’t use credit cards to add money to your accounts in the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShop. You can continue to use the existing funds. 

From 29th August 2022 onwards, you can’t use the Nintendo eShop Cards to add funds to your account. That said, you can redeem your download codes until late March 2023 (or when the eShop will finally shut down). 

Experts aren’t surprised that Nintendo is shutting down Wii U eShop. After all, the console hasn’t been a hit with gamers. Nintendo Switch took over in less than a year. Moreover, the company has ported titles from Wii U to a new system. 

Still, the decision to shut down 3DS along with Wii U has caused quite a surprise. Maybe it’s because the console was first released more than a decade ago in 2011. The company even discounted the platform a couple of years ago in 2020. 

Another point to note is the changes made to the FAQs section. It removed the statement regarding Nintendo Switch Online, “is an effective way to make classic content easily available to a broad range of players,” and added, “We currently have no plans to offer classic content in other ways.” 

Follow TechPcVipers for the latest technology news. Also please connect with us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates.