Some fans might be distressed to hear this, but the Big N may be about to wind down support for their previous lines of portable consoles. The DS line of portable gaming consoles offered years of fun for Nintendo fans, but their role has largely been supplanted by the Switch, and all signs are pointing to a coming end for the 2DS and 3DS lines.
3DS, 3DS XL, and Wii U have lost access to previously crucial payment services, as some users have reported. The Nintendo website’s 3DS section has been stripped of some features involving these products. Specifically, no longer do users have the option to compare the 3DS with the 2DS, or any other variation of a comparison involving a 3DS system. The only options available are the 2DS and New 2DS XL.
We can see similar happenings on other online stores as well. Nintendo Japan lists information for the New 3DS LL (XL), but also offers no buying options.
The big news on this front comes from the eShop for both the DS and WiiU platforms, as it’s soon no longer going to be possible to add funds directly to 3DS and Wii U eShop accounts via credit card. Instead, adding funds and managing payment options will have to be done through the user’s Nintendo Account. This is not that big of an issue for those with an existing account, but the extra hurdle suggests a change in strategy.
Nintendo already curtailed support for the WiiU, both in terms of software and digital services, many months ago, so that’s not too alarming. But the shift does suggest that Nintendo sees the Switch as a more viable long-term console to invest in. The recent announcement and coming launch of the Switch Lite certainly reinforced this idea.
We don’t know what the future holds for these older Ninty platforms, but it seems like those still not somehow on the portable train for these game systems might want to start looking into second-hand, as primary sources look to be drying up.
