The 3DS Is Officially Dead, And Here Is Why Nintendo Might Never Make Something Like It Again

“RIP 3DS” began to trend on social media on Thursday after it was quietly confirmed that Nintendo had ceased all production of the handheld system, signaling the official end of its lifespan. All mentions of the system have also vanished from the U.S. Nintendo site, save for a customer support link.

While not unexpected given the dominance of the Nintendo Switch, the news, as reported by The Verge whose findings stemmed from a Japenese Nintendo site, still prompted waves of mourning and celebration from fans, sharing praise for the experimental system and its beloved library of games.

Some called the news the end of an era, and for good reason: it's unlikely that Nintendo will ever make something like the 3DS again.

The 3DS first launched in 2011 and had an extremely rocky start, with its $250 price tag and anemic game library keeping sales slim. Eventually, a steep price drop less than a year later, and the release of well-received “Legend of Zelda” and “Mario” games turned the system’s fortunes. The system went on to amass a beloved library of games and sell nearly 76 million units.

Despite that success, it is likely the 3DS will be the last pure handheld released by Nintendo. The massive success of its console-handheld hybrid, the Switch, will almost certainly define the company’s path forward, and while the new Switch Lite is strictly handheld with no TV compatibility, it remains a side project rather than its own thing.

Considering the nominal failure of Sony’s PS Vita – launched shortly after the 3DS – and the continued ubiquity of mobile games for phones and tablets, handheld devices primarily made for playing games are looking firmly like the way of the past.

The glasses-free 3D also seems like it’ll stay in the past for now. While Nintendo had toyed with 3D-capabilities with the NES, Virtual Boy, and GameCube, the 3DS finally made it easily accessible. Eventually, however, the system’s 3D faded into the background, with some higher-end games later in its life dropping it entirely to focus on performance.

The public at large also seems to be over 3D in general. The 3DS had the benefit of launching in the wake of “Avatar” and with “Hugo” on the horizon, a time when interest in 3D visuals had been piqued, if not cemented.

Games on the go might be here to stay in ever-evolving forms, but its doubtful that we’ll see the like of the 3DS, or DS, or PSP, or PS Vita, anytime soon.