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Nintendo announces end of Wii U and 3DS online services in April

In This Article

In This Article

Nintendo has announced that it will be ending online service support for the Wii U console and 3DS handheld in April.

In a post over on the Nintendo Americasupport website, Nintendo announce that “In early April 2024, online play and other functionality that uses online communication will end for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software.”

From early April, any online activity involving the Wii U or 3DS will be impossible, including online co-operative play, internet rankings, and data distribution. Nintendos says that it will be announcing a specific termination date nearer the time.

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According to the following Q&A section, one online service will remain active in the form of Pokémon Bank. This is the tool that has for the past decade enabled Pokémon players totransfer captured Pocket Monstersfrom previous games to newer entries in the series. This has since been replaced by the Pokémon Home tool, but will still continue to operate for now.

It’s worth noting that Nintendo’s ending of online support does not include software updates or purchased digital software. You’ll still be able to download those things “for the foreseeable future”.

The beloved StreetPass feature of the Nintendo 3DS will also continue to operate, as it’s based on local wireless communication technology rather than Nintendo’s online service. SpotPass, which does rely on online communication to download software in the background, will no longer be operational.

Naturally, you’ll still be able to play the formidable local libraries of both consoles after the switch-off. You’ll just have to switch to theNintendo Switchif you want to continue those epic Mario Kart 8 multiplayer sessions.

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Jon is a seasoned freelance writer who started covering games and apps in 2007 before expanding into smartphones and consumer tech, dabbling in lifestyle and media coverage along the way. Besides bein…

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Founded in 2003, Trusted Reviews exists to give our readers thorough, unbiased and independent advice on what to buy.

Today, we have millions of users a month from around the world, and assess more than 1,000 products a year.

Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.

We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.