The old has to give way to the new, and that’s certainly the case with the arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2. Succeeding the current iteration later this year, Nintendo is already planning to cease repairs and sourcing parts from older consoles as it makes way for the long-awaited handheld. So sorry folks, but if you own a Nintendo 3DS LL or Nintendo 2DS, it looks like your time is up.
At least for players in Japan currently, as Nintendo has announced it will no longer afford resources to its customer repair scheme for older handhelds. In a statement issued on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, Nintendo clarified that “as we have run out of parts necessary for repairs, we have stopped accepting repairs for the new Nintendo 3DS LL and Nintendo 2DS systems.” This follows a notice addressed to players in February last year, which expressed an intent to slow down and eventually stop repairs for the Nintendo 2DS, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo 3DS LL systems.
In August 2024, Nintendo confirmed that it wouldn’t accept repair requests for the Nintendo 3DS going forward. With the Nintendo Switch 2 set to receive a deep dive presentation in the next Nintendo Direct, it’s not surprising that the gaming giant is aiming to allocate all of its resources to it.
Production demand for the Switch 2 is undoubtedly going to be enormous, and with no new 3DS games or standard DS games hitting shelves since 2021 and 2014, respectively, the time to sunset these consoles properly on a global scale is likely on the cards.
The focus on starting fresh is abundantly clear, with the loss of Nintendo Switch gold points signaling a different era for the eShop going forward. Nintendo is aware that ensuring that the Nintendo Switch 2 price point is affordable, with previous rumors alleging that Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders may be cheaper than an Xbox Series S – Microsoft’s less costly alternative to its flagship Xbox Series X console. If the console meets the alleged capabilities of running triple-A titles, then it should be worth every penny.
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