It’s a tradition that as hardware ages, companies will stop supporting it with new releases, and eventually online services shut down. It has been a slow death for the 3DS and the Wii U which had theireShops shut down this year. The next step in phasing out these devices will come in April 2024 whenNintendo shuts down online servicesfor software on the platforms.
In short, this means that online play and anything else that requires the internet will no longer be available for the 3DS and Wii U. Nintendo has clarified that a more specific date for the shutdown will be revealed later.
What happens after online services are shut down for 3DS and Wii U?
Let’s start with what won’t be getting axed.The shutdown of online services on the 3DS and Wii U won’t stop you from playing single-player offline games.You won’t lose your library either because “it will still be possible to download update data and redownload purchased software and downloadable content from Nintendo eShop.”
As of early April 2024, online play and other functionality that uses online communication will end service for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software. Thank you very much for your continued support of our products.Find out more:https://t.co/nOyzBImHCE
StreetPass will still be fully functional, as that relies on local communication, though you will lose SpotPass. You’ll also be losing the following:
Pokemonplayers can breathe a sigh of relief, asPokemon Bankwill still have access to online services, though “that may also end at some point in the future.”
The shutdown of online services is unfortunate but unavoidable too. It does seem that Nintendo is freeing up resources as it looks to its future which, if reports are to be believed, may feature aSwitch successoras soon as next year.
