Nintendo has expressed uncertainty about the future of the Nintendo 3DS handheld console. Nintendo Switch is selling well and is enjoying success as a platform for indie titles. Against this background, 3DS support may no longer be appropriate.
This was announced by the president of Nintendo Tatsumi Kimishima (Tatsumi Kimishima). He said that the Nintendo 3DS is still making a profit, and the company hopes that customers will use the console on a par with the Switch, but “as for the future, this is still uncharted territory.”
Nintendo director Jo Shiota noted that the Switch is somewhat similar to the 3DS, but has higher performance and energy consumption.
“We have not yet decided in which direction we will develop. Now we are considering different possibilities,” he explained.
From April to December last year, Nintendo sold 5.8 million 3DS. This is 9% lower than sales for the same period in 2016.
The sale of games for 3DS decreased significantly — in the three quarters of 2017, Nintendo sold 31.8 million copies, which is 33% lower than the result of 2016.
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