Nintendo to phase out support for 3DS and Wii U digital stores
(Pocket-lint) — Nintendo has announced that from March 2023 it will have completely disabled purchases on the eShop digital storefronts on both its 3DS family of handhelds and the Wii U, the arguably failed predecessor to its massively successful Switch.
Starting on 23 May 2022, it won't be possible to add funds to your account through the 3DS or Wii U eShops using a credit or debit card, and then on 29 August 2022 this will extend to also rule out pre-paid gift cards.
The next milestone will be in March 2023, when all purchases will be disabled, including the ability to download even free demos.
As of late March 2023, it will no longer be possible to make Nintendo eShop purchases for the Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. More info: https://t.co/uGoxCcDZ70
You'll still be able to add funds to your account however you like through a Switch system or indeed online for a year or so, meaning the real milestone will be the one that comes when everything is properly switched off, and there are obviously a fair few games that will no longer be available on any platform once the change is complete.
It's the sort of decision that dismays campaigners for digital game preservation, for obvious reasons, but we don't imagine Nintendo's likely to back down on it from a commercial standpoint. By way of amelioration it's mentioned that you'll still be able to redownload purchased games and get software updates for them into the «foreseeable future».
The blog post announcing the change also clarifies that «No changes are planned for Nintendo eShop on the Nintendo Switch family of systems», which is hardly a surprise, but it does make you worry that no game on one of Nintendo's digital store fronts can ever be considered
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