Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Online Servers Shut Down for New Users

The End of an Era

A recent update has reportedly shut down online play for players picking up new 3DS and Wii U consoles, with online play on the platforms expected to fully end early next year. The future of Nintendo's last-gen platforms had already been revealed earlier this year, with Nintendo confirming that Nintendo 3DS and Wii U online servers will be shutting down in April 2024. The eShops for both platforms were also closed earlier this year, with players no longer able to access the online marketplace. Now, new owners of the handheld platforms will apparently be losing online access earlier than expected.

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While some fans will be sad to see the 3DS and Wii U go, Nintendo has long since shifted its focus towards the Switch. Production for the Wii U ended as early as January 2017, just two months before the release of the Nintendo Switch. The 3DS would manage to survive for several years past the launch of the handheld-home console hybrid, with production of new consoles ended in 2020 and receiving new digital games as recently as last year. Now, however, online play has reportedly been shuttered on both consoles for new users.

As reported by NintendoLife, a recent update to the 3DS and Wii U has officially disabled online play for new 3DS and Wii U users. The error was reportedly discovered by players attempting to access the online servers for Super Mario Maker, with some players believing Nintendo had begun shutting down online servers early. However, the issue was later discovered to be exclusive to new 3DS and Wii U accounts, reportedly not being 'synchronized' with the servers ahead of the impending shutdown. Existing users are still expected to be able to access the consoles' online servers until the official shutdown in April.

A Shift in Focus

With the impending shutdown of online play for both the 3DS and Wii U, Nintendo has already brought several of the platforms' most popular games to the Switch. Nintendo has frequently released enhanced ports and remasters on Switch, with popular games like Bayonetta 2 and Super Mario 3D World making their way onto the console. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe even went on to become the Switch's best-selling game as an enhanced port of the Wii U's Mario Kart 8, originally debuting in 2014.

The upcoming shutdown of the Wii U and 3DS online servers comes following a busy holiday season for Nintendo with plenty of major releases. The last quarter of 2023 would bring a pair of new Mario games, with a remake of Super Mario RPG and Super Mario Bros. Wonder as the newest 2D Mario platformer. The Pokemon franchise would also see the launch of Detective Pikachu Returns, as well as the 'Indigo Disk' expansion for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Nintendo's newest updates look to begin the final farewell to the 3DS and Wii U's online servers.

The Legacy Lives On

The impending shutdown of the Wii U and 3DS online servers comes following a busy holiday season for Nintendo with plenty of major releases. The last quarter of 2023 would bring a pair of new Mario games, with a remake of Super Mario RPG and Super Mario Bros. Wonder as the newest 2D Mario platformer. The Pokemon franchise would also see the launch of Detective Pikachu Returns, as well as the 'Indigo Disk' expansion for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Nintendo's newest updates look to begin the final farewell to the 3DS and Wii U's online servers.