Nintendo Japan Stops Repairing 3DS; Spare Parts Ran Out Three Weeks Early

Nintendo discontinued its 3DS handheld back in September last year. About half a year later, the company is no longer taking in the handhelds for repair, at least in its home country of Japan. This is because the spare parts to do so have run out.

According to VGC, Nintendo Japan previously announced that repairs for the 3DS and its XL variant would no longer be available come 31 March. That being said, the company also cautioned that the date may be brought forward due to the scarcity of parts. And as the company warned, it ultimately did bring the end date forward. Despite this, the report states that Nintendo Japan will still be doing repairs for the New 3DS, its XL variant, and the 2DS.

With the company discontinuing production of the handheld itself, it’s to be expected that parts will eventually dry up. The fact that the company had to stop taking in units to repair may suggest that many owners had theirs sent in to keep them alive for as long as possible.

This makes the Nintendo 3DS all the more valuable. If you have one, this is all the more reason for you to take good care of it.

Netflix To Shut Down Service On Nintendo Wii U And 3DS On 30 June; Still Not Available On Switch

Netflix has announced that it will to provide its services on for two of Nintendo’s older consoles: the Wii U and 3DS. Come 30 June 2021, the app will no longer be available on the Nintendo eShop for both consoles, and new users will not be able to download them if they joined after 31 December 2020.

The practice of rescinding support of its app from older and outdated devices and hardware is not uncommon, but Netflix’s actions serve as a reminder that more than three years since its release, the app is still nowhere to be seen on the Nintendo Switch.

It’s a small, yet important point to take heed of, especially since it was Reggie-Fils-Aime, then COO of Nintendo America, made a promise at the launch of the Switch that apps for Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu, will “come in time”. Of the three, only Hulu is available, along with the anime streaming service, Funimation.

To reiterate, if you’re one of a few individuals who actually watch Netflix via your Wii U or 3DS, you have until 30 June to stream content to the consoles. After which, you will be forced to seek alternative streaming options. Options that include, say…your smartphone, PC, and laptop.