Nintendo has stopped offering repairs for the New Nintendo 3DS. While it's unsurprising for a company to end support for hardware that's a decade old, the reason in this case is that Nintendo has simply run out of parts. The news circulated in a translated social media post from the company's Japanese support team.
Time is also running out for official repairs of the Nintendo 2DS and New Nintendo 3DS LL (known as the XL model in the US). Nintendo said it will stop offering repairs on those handhelds when they likewise deplete their stock of replacement parts.
Nintendo stopped manufacturing the entire 3DS line in 2020. The handhelds had a long and impactful run as the game company's leading handheld. The New 3DS and New 3DS XL shipped 9.94 million units globally at the close of 2016, while the entire 3DS family's sales reached 75.94 million by 2020.
For the time being, US customers can still take advantage of Nintendo's repair service for late-model 3DS XLs. New 3DS owners can still attempt the DIY approach if their handhelds break. Third-party repair platform iFixit currently has a stock of replacement parts and guides for the handheld in its online catalog. But as with any piece of hardware that's getting along in years, it might be wise to exercise a little extra care when you use it. Just like the 3DS eShop, nothing lasts forever.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-cant-repair-your-new-3ds-because-it-ran-out-of-parts-192615658.html?src=rss