Nintendo has discontinued the 3DS console after a lifespan of nearly 10 years, according to its Japanese website. “Production of the main body of the Nintendo 3DS series has been discontinued,” says the website.
“Nintendo 3DS is not just about being able to watch and play in 3D without glasses – it also offers unique social experiences,” added Nintendo Europe’s Managing Director of Marketing and PR Laurent Fischer upon the console’s launch.
“In the way Wii brought families together, Nintendo 3DS will appeal to a broad range of people.” The 3DS has two screens, with the bottom touch screen allowing the gamer to use a stylus and the top screen displayed the 3D visuals.
Alongside the control pad and button controls – which were available on previous Nintendo handheld consoles – the 3DS introduced a new analogue Circle Pad, while a built-in motion sensor and gyro sensor meant that tilting and moving the console could be used by games as input.
Nintendo Switch
While the 3DS was popular – shipping over 75 million consoles worldwide – in the past few years it has been overshadowed by the hugely popular Nintendo Switch. The Switch has already shipped over 61 million consoles despite only launching in 2017, and has definitively become the handheld console of choice for Nintendo gamers.
Nintendo also wants to launch a number of new games within the next year to extend the lifespan of the console, according to company president Shuntaro Furukawa. He also said the company intends to “continue developing hardware to pursue unique entertainment offerings”.
This could be a reference to rumours of an upgraded model of the Nintendo Switch which could launch next year. This console would reportedly offer more power and would support 4K graphics.
