Nintendo will be shutting down most of the remaining online services for the Wii U and 3DS come spring 2024. The move is yet another step in the company's efforts to sunset support for the two consoles, with its announcement arriving some half a year after the 3DS and Wii U eShops closed down in March 2023.
Its next move on that front will arrive in the form of a complete discontinuation of most of the remaining internet services for the two consoles. The shutdown, slated for early April 2024, will hence spell the end of online multiplayer on the 3DS and Wii U. Once the supporting server infrastructure is taken offline, the owners of the affected consoles will also lose access to related features such as data sharing, online leaderboards, and SpotPass, Nintendo's support pages reveal.
Nintendo intends to announce the exact date of the shutdown in the coming months. The gaming giant is also reserving the right to discontinue online services for the 3DS and Wii U earlier than planned in the event of any difficulties that would inhibit its ability to maintain those features until early spring 2024. The shutdown won't prevent users from downloading games and DLC that they already own, with Nintendo confirming that functionality will still be supported "for the foreseeable future." The change also won't affect features like StreetPass that rely on local communications.
Its next move on that front will arrive in the form of a complete discontinuation of most of the remaining internet services for the two consoles. The shutdown, slated for early April 2024, will hence spell the end of online multiplayer on the 3DS and Wii U. Once the supporting server infrastructure is taken offline, the owners of the affected consoles will also lose access to related features such as data sharing, online leaderboards, and SpotPass, Nintendo's support pages reveal.
Nintendo intends to announce the exact date of the shutdown in the coming months. The gaming giant is also reserving the right to discontinue online services for the 3DS and Wii U earlier than planned in the event of any difficulties that would inhibit its ability to maintain those features until early spring 2024. The shutdown won't prevent users from downloading games and DLC that they already own, with Nintendo confirming that functionality will still be supported "for the foreseeable future." The change also won't affect features like StreetPass that rely on local communications.
