As a sign of the consoles slipping further into obscurity, Nintendo has quietly ended for Netflix on two older platforms, the 3DS and Wii U, leaving the company with no for the streaming service whatsoever. A Netflix app has yet to be announced for the Switch, despite that console being four years into its lifecycle.
Plans to discontinue the 3DS and Wii U Netflix apps were first announced in January 2021. Practically speaking, the two devices were already out of favor with most customers - Wii U production was halted in January 2017, and all versions of the 3DS were discontinued by September 2020. The Switch made those products obsolete, not just in of performance but by serving as both a handheld and living room system. It's now the company's only first-party hardware platform, putting aside its growing for smartphones and tablets.
3DS and Wii U was officially ended on June 30, according to a Nintendo document. The app was removed from the devices' eShop on December 31 but continued to work for Netflix subscribers, presumably as a way of smoothing the transition. All models of the 3DS are affected by the termination, among them the 2DS spinoffs that stripped out stereoscopic 3D effects. Those effects were seldom used in games and didn't pick up any compatibility from video services, which would likely have had to customize content for the 3DS.
Nintendo's situation stands in direct contrast with Microsoft and Sony, which not only have Netflix but have been adding as many streaming apps as possible, such as Disney+ and HBO Max. This even includes live TV replacements like Sling TV and YouTube TV. The Switch does offer Hulu and the standard version of YouTube, but omissions like Netflix mean that many owners are probably dependent on third-party devices like Chromecasts and Apple TVs.
Nintendo has sometimes been criticized for a narrow focus on gaming. It was slow to embrace the internet on its consoles, not making the technology integral until the Wii in 2006. Even then the company has sometimes made services difficult to use, for instance relying on friend codes to connect with other gamers. There's no sign that Netflix or other streaming services will arrive with a "Switch Pro" console rumored for 2022 - they might ultimately be necessary, though, to persuade the public to stick with Nintendo as a platform. A console like the Xbox Series X can effectively operate as an all-in-one entertainment device, handling games, video, and music.
Source: Nintendo
