Nintendo Wii U and 3DS online services will be shut down tomorrow

While Nintendo is slowly but surely gearing up for a new generation of consoles, it's also the end of the era of retro consoles. Online services for the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS will be discontinued starting tomorrow.

Starting April 9, 2024, players will no longer be able to use online services such as online multiplayer, online leaderboards, and online file sharing. Games purchased digitally through April 9, 2024 on Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 2DS XL, Wii U Deluxe, New 3DS, and 3DS XL can also be re-downloaded after April 9. So you will continue to have access to everything you purchased. This also applies to downloadable content.

As of April 9, online multiplayer will no longer be possible on Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Other online functions do not work, such as online leaderboards and online file sharing. Only Pokémon Bank and Pokémon Transporter will continue to have online functionality, even after April 9. So it's still possible to transfer Pokémon from Pokémon Ultra Sun, for example, to the virtual collection point Pokémon Bank.

Focus on the future

Nintendo's focus is now shifting to the Nintendo Switch. Rumors suggest that a successor to the Nintendo Switch will be released in the first quarter of 2025. This will again be a hybrid console, that is, a gaming device that you can take “on the go,” but can also connect to your TV to enjoy the traditional console experience. The new console will also be much more powerful than the Nintendo Switch and support Ray Tracing and Ray Reconstruction. Nintendo will once again team up with Nvidia for a custom SoC in the new console.

According to an Activision spokesperson, Nintendo's new console is as powerful as the PlayStation 4. Thus, porting Call of Duty to the new console should be relatively easy. The new console may also have support for Nvidia DLSS AI upscaling technology. Nintendo has not officially announced the new console yet.