New owners of Nintendo 3DS and Wii U consoles are facing a setback as recent updates have led to a loss of access to online servers. The move comes ahead of the previously announced shutdown of the online services for these consoles, which is set to take place in April 2024. The shutdown of the eShops for both platforms earlier this year has already restricted players from accessing the online marketplace. Now, new owners of these consoles are experiencing an earlier than expected loss of online access.

Nintendo's focus has shifted to the Switch, leading to the discontinuation of production for the Wii U in early 2017 and for the 3DS in 2020. The company has been transitioning popular games from these platforms to the Switch, indicating a clear move towards the newer console.

A recent update has resulted in the disabling of online play for new 3DS and Wii U users, as reported by NintendoLife. The issue was noticed when players attempted to access the online servers for Super Mario Maker. Although existing users are still expected to have access to the online servers until the shutdown in April, the error has affected new accounts, preventing them from synchronizing with the servers.

In light of the upcoming shutdown, Nintendo has been transferring popular games from the 3DS and Wii U to the Switch. Enhanced ports and remasters of well-known titles such as Bayonetta 2 and Super Mario 3D World have made their way to the Switch, with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, in particular, becoming a best-seller on the platform. The shutdown of online play for the Wii U and 3DS is a significant development following a busy holiday season for Nintendo, which saw the release of new Mario games and additions to the Pokemon franchise.