Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Eshops Support are being shut down

Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Memories Image Credit

Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Eshops are being shut down by Nintendo. Nintendo has announced that eShop support for the Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo 3DS will be shut down sooner than expected.

Nintendo has made the decision to stop eShop support for the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Wii U after a rather long run. This has been a long time coming, as Nintendo has gradually reduced the amount of new console content offered on the eShop since the launching of the Nintendo Switch in 2017.

Interestingly, the Wii U will receive a brand-new game with Balance Board support before this happens. Silver Falls White Inside Its Umbra is set to be released this year, although no specific date has been set. Silver Falls White Inside Its Umbra is a horror game that will use the Wii U Balance Board, as well as practically every other feature of the Wii U controller, in an unusual way. The game will only be available on the Wii U's eShop.

The Wii U hasn't been in production for a while, so it's unclear for whom Sungrand Studios is developing the game, given that the platform only sold roughly 14 million units. Nintendo has indicated that the 3DS and Wii U eShops will close in March 2023, so the developer will have to move soon. Gamers will no longer be able to add monies to their accounts through credit card on May 23, and users will no longer be able to contribute funds to their accounts via prepaid eShop cards on August 29.

We thank you for supporting Nintendo eShop on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.

Additionally, you may also look back on your time with them via various play statistics: https://t.co/YCkkVFaQ7i

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 16, 2022

Nintendo was supposed to be eliminating Wii U and 3DS eShop support in 2022 back in 2021, but it now appears that the company is giving fans a little extra time to buy titles for their systems before the eShop support for the devices is permanently shut down. Users will be able to download existing software updates and re-download items that they already possess.

Sony planned to shut down the PS Vita and PS3 digital marketplaces, but after public outcry, the corporation reversed its decision and kept the sites open. Nintendo is unlikely to face comparable criticism, considering the Nintendo 3DS is already over ten years old and has had very little new material released in the last few years. Because of the Wii U's dismal sales, many of the console's games have been ported to the Switch.

Surprisingly, the Nintendo 3DS got a new update last year. The upgrade was said to fix stability concerns with the handheld console's internet service, despite its small size. 

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