Earlier this year, Nintendo ended eShop functionality for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, marking the beginning of the end for these devices. Now, Nintendo has announced that online play and other device functionality that requires online communication is coming to an end, too.
More specifically, Nintendo says online services for these devices will end in April 2024.
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
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) October 4, 2023
“In early April 2024, online play and other functionality that uses online communication will end for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software,” Nintendo’s announcement reads. “This also includes cooperative play, internet rankings, and data distribution.”
Nintendo says it will announce a specific end date and time at a later date and that it reserves the right to discontinue these online services earlier if “an event occurs that would make it difficult to continue online services” for the 3DS and Wii U. It also notes this includes software exclusive to the New Nintendo 3DS.
The company then answers a number of questions in an FAQ section of the announcement. It notes that Pokemon Bank will still be usable following April 2024 and that “for the foreseeable future, it will still be possible to download update data and redownload purchased software and downloadable content from Nintendo eShop.”
The fan-favorite 3DS feature, StreetPass, will fortunately still work as it uses local communication between devices, but SpotPass, which uses online communication instead, will no longer be available after April 2024.
For more, read Game Informer’s farewell to the Nintendo Wii U eShop.
What’s your favorite online memory of the Wii U or 3DS? Let us know in the comments below!
