The Nintendo 3DS, which came out back in 2011, as well as the Wii U, which came out back in 2012, has been the source of joy and happiness for a lot of players. However, it would appear that that will be coming to an end, as Nintendo just announced that it would be cutting the online services and support for both the 3DS and the Wii U.
Originally, the post on the Nintendo of America X account (formerly Twitter) last year said that the online service would stop on early April 2024. Following an update on the customer support page that covers this, it stated that the online functionality for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U will end on April 8, 2024, at 4:00 PM PDT. As of this article, that is less than a day from now.
The post states that, once that date and time arrives, “online play and other functionality that uses online communication will end service for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Software.” The official post on their Customer Support page continued, explaining that the discontinuation of the online service includes “co-operative play, internet rankings, and data distribution.” Simply put, built-in services, as well as any online multiplayer functionality, will end once April 8, 2024, comes around.
Following the announcement, they also released answers to some questions that players could have. For starters, they mentioned the features and game modes that do not require an online connection will still be accessible. There are, however, some exceptions, such as Pokemon Bank and Poke Transfer. However, they mentioned that these services may also end at some point in the future. Players will also still be able to download update data and redownload purchased software and downloadable content “for the foreseeable future.” StreetPass will still be available for use, but SpotPass will no longer be available.
Players have mixed feelings about this announcement, as can be seen from the replies to the tweet. Some were understandably sad that this was happening.
Others, on the other hand, were poking fun at the situation.
Overall, it can’t be denied that it is pretty sad whenever consoles lose online support, or any support for that matter.
Service Discontinuation Is, Sadly, Normal
This is not the first time that the online service for a game service has gone offline, nor will it be the last. This is especially true for consoles, with new generations of hardware arriving every few years. The PlayStation 3, for example, was discontinued in 2017, 11 years after its first launch. The PlayStation Portable, on the other hand, was discontinued in 2014, with owners of the handheld losing access to the PlayStation Network two years later.
A more recent example is coming in a few months, and involves the Xbox 360. On July 29, 2024, players will no longer be able to buy new games, DLC, and more as the Xbox 360 store will close. Thankfully, players will still be able to install their previously bought games. Not just that, but their games will be playable on newer consoles, should they own updated systems.
It’s always sad to see when beloved consoles get discontinued, and their online services go offline. However, that’s the cycle of life for gaming consoles. At least, with the discontinuation of the console and its online services, we can expect these companies to allocate the funds for said services to the ones that are currently online, as well as those coming out in the future.
That’s all the information we have about how Nintendo is cutting online support and services for the 3DS and the Wii U. Check out our gaming news articles for the latest in gaming news.
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