Nintendo 3DS is officially dead as 2DS repairs end for good

If you’re 3DS breaks, don’t go asking Nintendo for help (Nintendo)

The final nail has been hammered into the 3DS’ coffin, as Nintendo officially runs out of replacement parts.

Although Nintendo stopped manufacturing the 3DS handheld in 2020, it was still technically supported in the years that followed, with replacement parts available to those who needed them.

However, what little life support it had has gradually been turned off. Its eShop was shut down (taking many exclusive digital games with it), followed by all its online services a year later, and despite fans’ efforts to stay online, they’ve all now been forcefully disconnected.

If you thought the 3DS couldn’t be any deader at this point, Nintendo is here to prove you wrong by announcing that it’ll no longer repair damaged Nintendo 2DS consoles – the very last holdout of the 3DS era.

As a reminder, the 2DS was an alternate model of the 3DS that removed the 3D functionality, making it cheaper and acknowledging the fact that the 3D effect wasn’t as popular as Nintendo expected.

Nintendo already stopped offering repairs for the early 2DS models but the New Nintendo 2DS XL, a version that came with an extra analogue stick, was still being supported until now.

But Nintendo has admitted on its Japanese customer support account on X, that it’s finally run out of parts for the console. And if it doesn’t have them in Japan, it’s certainly not going to have them in the UK or elsewhere.

Is it still possible to have a Nintendo 3DS or 2DS repaired?

While disappointing, this was inevitable, so anyone still regularly using their 3DS or 2DS will need to rely on third parties if they ever need repairs.

How many Nintendo 3DS were sold?

Although the 3DS wasn’t Nintendo’s most successful handheld (it came nowhere close to the original DS’s sales and was also beaten by the Game Boy Advance did better), it was still a solid hit.

At 75.94 million sales (which includes 2DS sales) it’s the 13th best-selling console of all-time and handily outperformed Sony’s PlayStation Vita, which launched the same year and is estimated to have sold only between 10 and 15 million units.

Both consoles proved to be the last dedicated handhelds from both companies (Switch is a hybrid and PlayStation Portal is just for streaming), their popularity cut short by the rise of smartphones – with the iPhone already having launched four years prior.

The 3DS was home to a strong library of exclusives, some of which deserve to get the same treatment as Luigi’s Mansion 2 and see some kind of remaster or remake on the Switch 2

While it might not have sold as much as prior Nintendo handhelds, the 3DS’s influence can still be felt in the Switch, which has enjoyed great success as a dual handheld/home console hybrid. So much so that it was the clear impetus for the handheld PC market.

The key difference, though, is that devices like the Steam Deck and ROG Xbox Ally aren’t bespoke consoles with their own games. They’re portable PCs designed so established PC players can enjoy their games on the go.

If anything, the Switch should be taking more inspiration from the 3DS. We’ve seen plenty of fans wish the Switch and Switch 2 brought back the 3DS’ StreetPass feature, where you could exchange Miis with nearby 3DS owners and use them in minigames.

Once Kirby Air Riders is out of the way, can Nintendo get Sakurai on a Kid Icarus: Uprising remaster, please?(Nintendo)

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