Nintendo to close 3DS and Wii U eShops at the end of March 2023

The days of the 3DS and Wii U stores are numbers. On a new support page, Nintendo revealed which is closing eShops for the Wii U system and 3DS family of consoles at the end of March 2023. This means that after that date, you will no longer be able to purchase any content from stores, download demos and redeem download codes. The shutdown process will begin long before March next year: you will not be able to use a credit card to add funds to your eShop account from May 23, 2022.

Also, although retailers will sell Nintendo eShop Cards until they are out of stock, you will no longer be able to use them to fund your account starting August 29, 2022. However, you can add as many funds as you like until those dates and you can redeem download codes until the end of March 2023. After the eShops officially close, you will only be able to use them to redownload any content you already own and install software updates.

Nintendo wrote in the page’s FAQ section that the change “is part of the natural lifecycle of any product line as it becomes less used by consumers over time.” Both systems have been getting there in years, and Nintendo stopped making the 3DS in 2020. Meanwhile, the Switch became Nintendo’s best-selling home console last year after selling a total of 103.54 million units. since launch in 2017.

Like kotaku notes, Nintendo is also removing the only way to buy some classic games for older platforms by closing stores. Apparently, the gaming giant deleted a section in its FAQ talking about how Nintendo Switch Online “is an effective way to make classic content easily available to a wide range of players.” He added, “We currently have no plans to offer classic content in other ways.” However, Nintendo Switch Online is a subscription service and you can only access your library of classic games while your subscription is active.