The END Is Officially Here! Nintendo Wii U & 3DS eShop Closing In North America! IMPORTANT DATES!
In a somewhat unexpected movement, Nintendo has just confirmed the date on which the digital stores of Wii U and 3DS will be discontinued. This means that you can not buy absolutely anything in any of these two systems, or download free content, such as game demonstrations. In the same way, as we approach this date, certain related services will come to an end.

At the end of March 2023, Both digital stores will be discontinued completely, so you can no longer do anything mentioned above. But this year a couple of things you should know will also happen:

– By May 23, 2022 , you will no longer be able to use a credit card to add funds to a Nintendo account via Eshop of the Wii U or 3DS.

– For August 29, 2022, You can no longer use a gift card of the ESHOP to add funds to any Nintendo account at the Wii U or 3DS . However, you can still redeem download codes until March 2023.

Those users who link their portfolio of Nintendo Network ID, which was used in the Wii U and 3DS, with their portfolio of Nintendo Account , which is used in Nintendo Switch, You can use the shared balance to buy content on any of these systems until the end of March 2023. After that, the remaining balance can only be used to buy things in the switch .

All these changes will be reflected in all kinds of platforms where digital products can be purchased, such as S Treetpass Mii Plaza, Theme Shop, and Nintendo Badge Arcade . Even after March 2023, it will still be possible to download games and DLC, receive software updates and enjoy online at Wii U and 3DS.

Basically, Nintendo explains that this is part of the natural life cycle of its consoles, and in the case of the Wii U and 3DS, which already have a much smaller number of users, it was inevitable to happen. Last year we had already had certain indications that this would happen eventually.

Editor’s note: And just as this happened for the Wii U and 3DS, a point will come from, where the SHOP of the switch will also be discontinued. Of course, many years still missing for this to happen, especially because the switch “barely goes to half its life cycle,” according to the president of Nintendo.