Nintendo has reminded that Nintendo eShop services for Wii U and 3DS will be ending next month, which they announced last year. They further clarified that the consolidation service, which allows users to merge their unused Nintendo eShop balance on these two systems with their Nintendo Account and thus spend that balance on the Switch eShop, will end in March 2024.
At the end of March 2023, purchases on the Nintendo eShop will no longer be possible for the Wii U console and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. It will also not be possible to download free content, including game demos. In addition, as that date approaches, related services will stop working:
– As of May 23, 2022, it will no longer be possible to use a credit card to add funds to an account in Nintendo eShop on Wii U or Nintendo 3DS family systems.
– As of August 29, 2022, it will no longer be possible to use a Nintendo eShop Card to add funds to an account in Nintendo eShop on Wii U or Nintendo 3DS family systems. However, it will still be possible to redeem the download codes until the end of March 2023.
– Users who link their Nintendo Network ID wallet (used with Wii U and Nintendo 3DS family systems) to their Nintendo Account wallet (used with Nintendo Switch family systems) can use the shared balance to purchase content on either of these consoles through the end of March 2023. After that, the balance can only be used to purchase content for the Nintendo Switch family of consoles.
No changes are planned for the Nintendo eShop on the Nintendo Switch family of consoles.
Changes to Nintendo eShop on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS family systems will take effect simultaneously on the software of these platforms where purchases are possible, such as StreetPass Mii Plaza, Theme Shop and Nintendo Badge Arcade.
Even after the end of March 2023, and for the foreseeable future, it will still be possible to download games and DLCs, receive software updates, and play online on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS consoles.
Thank you for your support of Nintendo eShop on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.