Nintendo Sunsets Netflix App on Wii U, 3DS

Nintendo announced Wednesday it will shut down Netflix functionality on both the Wii U and the 3DS in June, even as the Switch remains without a Netflix app.

As of Dec. 31, users on the Wii U and 3Ds can no longer download the Netflix app from the Nintendo eShop if they hadn't downloaded them already. Those that had will be able to re-download them until the service shuts down entirely June 30. Nintendo made the announcement via the support page for the Netflix for Wii U app.

Nintendo was in talks with Netflix, Hulu and Amazon in 2017 to bring streaming apps to the Switch, according to Nintendo of America's then-COO Reggie Fils-Aime. Hulu is the only streaming service of the three to have made it to the Switch since, though anime streaming service Funimation landed on the console in December.

By contrast, Sony's PlayStation consoles and Microsoft's Xbox consoles boast wide arrays of streaming options. Those companies tend to view their machines both as gaming consoles and as media hubs, whereas Nintendo appears more focused on the console as primarily for games.