As of March 27, 2023 at 5:00 PM Pacific Time, it is no longer possible to make purchases in Nintendo eShop for the Wii U system and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. It is also no longer possible to download free content, including game demos. Furthermore, related services also ceased to function at various dates:
- As of May 23, 2022, it is no longer possible to use a credit card to add funds to an account in Nintendo eShop on Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
- As of August 29, 2022, it is no longer possible to use a Nintendo eShop Card to add funds to an account in Nintendo eShop on Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
- As of April 3, 2023, it is no longer possible to redeem download codes in Nintendo eShop on Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
After March 27, 2023, users who link their Nintendo Network ID wallet (used with Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems) with their Nintendo Account wallet (used with the Nintendo Switch family of systems) can use the shared balance to purchase content on the Nintendo Switch family of systems.
Important
- The ability to link wallets will be available until March 2024. Make sure you merge your balances by March 2024.
- Keep in mind that you can create a Nintendo Account and link your wallets even if you do not own or use a Nintendo Switch system at this time.
No changes are planned for Nintendo eShop on the Nintendo Switch family of systems.
The changes to Nintendo eShop on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems simultaneously took effect in software on these platforms where it was possible to make purchases, such as StreetPass Mii Plaza, Theme Shop and Nintendo Badge Arcade.
Even after March 27, 2023, and for the foreseeable future, it will still be possible to redownload games and DLC, receive software updates and enjoy online play on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
We thank you for supporting Nintendo eShop on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, and we hope that you will continue to enjoy using these systems.
Q&A
- Why did this happen?
- Are any other services or functions of Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems going to be discontinued, such as online play?
- How long will it still be possible to redownload previously purchased content in Nintendo eShop for Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems? How long will those systems still support online play?
- There are still Nintendo eShop Cards at retailers that show the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS logos. What will happen to them?
- If someone visits Nintendo eShop and wants to download something on Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family systems after March 27, 2023, what are they able to do?
- After March 27, 2023, what can I do with my existing eShop balance on Nintendo 3DS or Wii U?
- What was the My Nintendo 3DS/Wii U Memories site?
Q&A
Why did this happen?
This is part of the natural lifecycle for any product line as it becomes less used by consumers over time.
Are any other services or functions of Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems going to be discontinued, such as online play?
There are no plans to make any further changes at this time.
How long will it still be possible to redownload previously purchased content in Nintendo eShop for Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family of systems? How long will those systems still support online play?
For the foreseeable future, it will still be possible to redownload games and DLC, receive software updates and enjoy online play on Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.
There are still Nintendo eShop Cards at retailers that show the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS logos. What will happen to them?
- These cards will continue to be at retail while supplies last.
- All Nintendo eShop Cards can be used to add funds to a Nintendo Account balance for use on the Nintendo Switch family of systems.
- This can be done via Nintendo eShop on the system itself or via web browser at the My Nintendo Store.
If someone visits Nintendo eShop and wants to download something on Wii U or the Nintendo 3DS family systems after March 27, 2023, what are they able to do?
- On both platforms, users are still able to:
- Redownload content they own
- Download existing software updates
- On both platforms, users are not able to:
- Purchase any content
- On Nintendo 3DS, this includes paid content, plays and passes in software such as StreetPass Mii Plaza, Theme Shop, Nintendo Badge Arcade and Pokémon Bank.
- On Wii U, this includes passes in software such as Wii Sports Club.
- Download demos
- Download free-to-start software
- Redeem a download code (this functionality ended on April 3, 2023)
- Add funds to their Nintendo eShop balance
- Purchase any content
- On Nintendo 3DS family systems, users are still able to:
- Download a small number of free themes from Theme Shop
After March 27, 2023, what can I do with my existing eShop balance on Nintendo 3DS or Wii U?
If you have an unused balance in the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS or Wii U, linking your Nintendo Network ID to your Nintendo Account and merging your wallets will allow you to continue to use your balance to purchase digital download titles, DLC, content passes, and other similar items for Nintendo Switch.
What was the My Nintendo 3DS/Wii U Memories site?
As a thank you for supporting Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, we created a website where you could look back on your time with them via various play statistics. This site was available for a limited time, and is no longer available.
