The Nintendo Wii U wasn’t considered the best of the company’s console offerings, not by a long stretch. But despite this, the odd console did have its fair share of solid titles, and the ability to access a back catalog of some ofNintendo’s best games via the Virtual Consolewas a real selling point for long-time fans. On the other end of the spectrum, the Nintendo 3DS was a surprisingly great handheld, with a main gimmick that actually added quite a bit to the experiences on the system. But while both consoles have their strengths, Nintendo believes that their time is up, and has confirmed that theNintendo Wii U and 3DS eShopswill be shut down.
Announced back in February, theNintendo Wii U and 3DS eShopswill be shut down in 2023. This means that users will no longer be able to purchase any form of digital media for either consoles, including games, apps, demos, and even wallpaper themes. Just a few days ago, Nintendo announced the closing date for the Wii U and 3DS eShops, and although users still have quite a while before the big day, there are a few things they should know.
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Everything To Know About The Nintendo Wii U and 3DS Eshops' Closing Dates
In the recent announcement by Nintendo, the company confirmed that on June 11, 2025, players will no longer be able to add digital funds to their Wii U or 3DS eShop wallets. This essentially means that if players are wanting to buy games the easiest possible way on these eShops, they’ll need to do it before August 29, which is just over a month away. However, while players won’t be able toadd funds directly to their Wii U or 3DS wallets, they should be able to go through their Switch, if they own one, and add funds to the eShop that way. As all these systems share the same eShop account, these funds can then be used across all storefronts.
The big news is that the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS eShops will be officially closing down on July 23, 2025. This means that users will have just under a year to purchase or claim any and every Wii U and 3DS title they want to get their hands on. This is a pretty big deal, as there are a good handful of titles that will be completely gone once the eShops close. Some of the biggest losses arethe first two generations ofPokemon, which were ported to the 3DS. While fans can still pick up old copies, that does require a Game Boy, and the original cards, which can be pretty expensive nowadays.
The same can be said for the vast majority of titles on the Wii U and 3DS eShops. While most will still be available via physical editions, a lot of these games are pretty expensive, and the closure of the eShop is only going to inflate these prices even further. Nintendo fans were already desperate forthe Virtual Console to head to the Switch, and now this desire is exacerbated ten-fold. Fans need a way to play these classic Nintendo titles without spending their life savings for the privilege to do so, and the Virtual Console is the best way to achieve that. Hopefully, Nintendo will finally listen to its fans, and the closure of theWii U and 3DS eShopsushers in a new of age of game preservation at Nintendo.
