Nintendo eShop
The is a digital distribution service for the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2, and formerly available via the Nintendo Network for the
Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the Nintendo eShop served as the successor to both the Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop. It is also a multitasking application, which means it is easily accessible even when a game is already running in the background through the system software. The Nintendo eShop features downloadable games, demos, applications, streaming videos, consumer rating feedback, and other information on upcoming game releases. The service was discontinued globally for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U in March 2023, continuing only on the Switch and Switch 2.
Key features
Initially, the two versions of the Nintendo eShop between the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U were independent of each other. Whilst this remains largely true, after the implementation of Nintendo Network ID for the Nintendo 3DS, users that register the same ID account between both systems can share a combined funds balance, home address, saved credit and debit card information, wish list entries, and linked Club Nintendo accounts. With the release of the Nintendo Switch version of the Nintendo eShop, the balance stored on a Nintendo Network ID can be shared or transferred to a Nintendo Account to be spent on the Nintendo Switch.The eShop stores a record of all downloads and purchases, allowing users to re-download previously purchased software at no additional charge, provided the software is still available on the eShop. Downloads can be started immediately, or they can be queued up and be pushed to the console while it is not in use or when the eShop application is not running. Users upgrading from a Nintendo DSi system can transfer their previous DSiware purchases to the Nintendo 3DS, with limited exceptions, such as Flipnote Studio. A December 2011 update enabled a similar feature allowing users to transfer their purchases between 3DS systems. Before the implementation of Nintendo Network ID for the Nintendo 3DS in December 2013, only five transfers between Nintendo 3DS systems were permitted. The limit on system transfers has since been permanently waived.
In 2016, Humble Bundle has sold collections of 3DS and Wii U games in North America with Nintendo of America support. In 2019, Nintendo of America began selling selected first-party games on Humble Bundle's store.
Region availability
As of November 2025, the Nintendo eShop is available in 50 markets:- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Israel *
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- United Kingdom
- United States
Upcoming launch
TBA:- Philippines
- Saudi Arabia
Former markets
Many South American and Caribbean markets originally had access to a limited variant of the Nintendo eShop on both Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, whilst Asian markets such as Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates originally had access to a limited variant of the eShop on Nintendo 3DS only. Many of the markets listed were not followed up with any official access to the eShop on succeeding platforms as of present, even if said platforms were officially available. However, it was confirmed that the Nintendo eShop service would officially re-launch as a full service in Singapore and Malaysia, in addition to Thailand on November 18, 2025, with the release date for the Philippines to be announced at a later date.
The Taiwanese market has had a complicated history with Nintendo products in the 2010s. The Nintendo 3DS was officially launched in Taiwan, and one time had access to a Chinese variation of the Nintendo eShop which it shared with Hong Kong. Although the Nintendo Switch was eventually officially launched in Taiwan, Hong Kong had gained official access to the eShop on Nintendo Switch since April 3, 2018, whilst Taiwan has not had the service until September 9, 2025, after the Nintendo Switch 2 launched. The Wii U was never officially released in either Hong Kong or Taiwan.
On May 31, 2023, Nintendo was obligated to close the eShop on the Nintendo Switch in Russia after more than a year's hiatus due to reasons beyond their control, likely as a consequence of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Nintendo Switch eShop is set to close in China on March 31, 2026.
Currency
Unlike the Wii Shop Channel and the DSi Shop services, which use Nintendo Points for purchases, the Nintendo eShop lists prices in the appropriate regional currencies. Accounts can be funded using either credit cards or prepaid cards purchased in stores.In China, the Nintendo eShop was opened on December 10, 2019, via Nintendo Switch units distributed by Tencent. Users can only log in with a WeChat account, and the account can only be funded via WeChat Pay. In addition, purchasing downloadable content from other regions is disabled due to the lack of the ability to sign in with a Nintendo Account and the general region locking of the Nintendo Switch for the Chinese market. Nintendo's mainland Chinese subsidiary iQue originally launched the iQue 3DS XL in December 2012 with two digital games pre-installed, but the eShop itself was never launched for the console in China.
Downloading
When applications were downloaded on the 3DS they took up space on the system in Nintendo's form of storage called blocks. On Wii U and the Switch, however, this storage type, which was also used on consoles like the Wii, was replaced with the mostly universal Megabyte and Gigabyte memory format.Multitasking
The Nintendo eShop can be accessed at any time via the HOME menu screen, even when a game is already running, on Wii U and Nintendo Switch. Background downloading is also possible via SpotPass while using any other application on the Wii U or Nintendo 3DS, and while in Sleep Mode on Nintendo Switch. Currently, 10 downloads can be queued at a time. The status of the downloads can be checked on the HOME menu under the "Download Manager". If notifications are activated, a pop-up message will appear in the top right corner of the screen to notify the user that a download is finished.Ratings
The Nintendo eShop supported user reviews of games, applications, and other media on the Wii U and 3DS. After an eShop title had been acquired and used for at least one hour, users could submit a review consisting of a crescent range of one to five "stars", representing the title's quality. Users could also categorize games by age and gender, as suitable for hardcore or casual gamers. The Wii U had Miiverse integration for user reviews on the Nintendo eShop. The Switch though removed the feature of buyer's reviews, and they haven't come as of January 20th, 2025.Deluxe Digital Promotion and Nintendo Network Premium
On September 13, 2012, during a Japanese Nintendo Direct presentation, Satoru Iwata introduced a new service called Deluxe Digital Promotion /Nintendo Network Premium. It was a loyalty program similar to PlayStation Plus offered on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Gold on Xbox Live.Consumers who purchased the Wii U Deluxe Pack in North America, or the Wii U Premium Pack in Europe and Japan, would receive a free two-year subscription to this service which lets Wii U owners receive points for each digital purchase.
Members who bought games and apps through the Wii U Nintendo eShop would receive ten percent of the price back in points, which could be exchanged for eShop credit on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS eShop. Points could be exchanged for eShop credit through March 31, 2015.
The program was discontinued on April 1, 2015. The service was never fully implemented beyond its promotional period.
The My Nintendo program formerly featured a similar concept for anyone who links their Nintendo Network ID to their Nintendo Account profile, and users could earn Gold Points via any Nintendo eShop purchase. For a period of time, users were able to redeem Gold Points for download codes or discount coupons available on My Nintendo for specific Wii U and Nintendo 3DS titles. Gold Points themselves could still be used to discount any purchases made on the Nintendo Switch. The ability to earn Gold Points have since been discontinued as of March 2025.
Nintendo 3DS and Wii U closures
A limited variant of the Nintendo eShop on the Nintendo 3DS family was discontinued on July 31, 2020, for various Latin American and Caribbean markets, as well as for the Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern markets. A limited variant of the Nintendo eShop on Wii U was also discontinued at the same day for said Latin American and Caribbean markets. As of that date, the ability to download, redownload, and update any software became unavailable, and games using the eShop were also affected.The ability to purchase, download, and play new content on the Nintendo eShop for the Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS was discontinued for the rest of the world on March 27, 2023, with the ability to add credit cards ceasing by May 23, 2022, followed by the inability to add funds by August 29 of the same year. Redeeming download codes for the systems were extended to April 4. Redownloading previously purchased content, updating and free themes will remain available. Merging funds left on a Nintendo Network ID with a Nintendo Account remained active until March 11, 2024. Previously downloaded content on the Nintendo eShop, among others, was unaffected by the suspension of the Nintendo Network and other Wi-Fi services for the 3DS and Wii U on April 8, 2024.