Earlier tonight Nintendo officially announced that they’ll be ending the ability for fans to purchase new games via either the Wii U or 3DS eShop storefronts. The good news is, you still have plenty of time to make any last minute purchases of any games or DLC you still want. They’ve stated that as of May 23rd this year, 2022, you can no longer use a credit card to add funds to your account directly through your Wii U or Nintendo 3DS. After August 29th, 2022, you also can no longer use eShop cards to add money to your account via either system.
However, Nintendo mentions that so long as your Nintendo Network ID account on your Wii U and 3DS, is connected to your Nintendo Wallet you use on your Nintendo Switch, then you can still add funds through your Switch to purchase games on your Wii U and 3DS for the remainder of this year. You can also still redeem any download codes you have throughout this year. But ultimately, once late March 2023 rolls around, Nintendo says they will completely shut down the ability to purchase new games on your Wii U or 3DS regardless of available funds. Finally, Nintendo says you’ll still be able to redownload previously purchased games, DLC and update your software, as well as continue to play online after the deadline, but you won’t be able to install anymore free demos either. If you’d like more details, or to see a bit of your Wii U or 3DS play history, check out Nintendo’s tweet thread I’ve linked above.
