TECH NEWS – The Japanese company announced the early closure of the Nintendo Switch store and servers in a market with 670 million players, ahead of the release of its successor…
We have reached the end of the Nintendo Switch era. The Japanese hybrid console, launched in 2017, sold millions of units and had a remarkable impact on the company. However, even if the rumoured successor, the Nintendo Switch 2, is already on the horizon, the Japanese do not want to let go of the current handheld console, especially not when it comes to an organic generational change. Fans of the Big N did not expect this move, at least not in such a market: the console’s digital store and online services are being shut down in China.
Although Nintendo itself made the announcement, we are talking about a market where, according to Statista, there are no less than 673 million registered players, and more than a million consoles were sold between 2020 and 2021 alone! However, the decision seems clear and unwavering.
The Asian giant will be without a digital store and all related online services from March 31, 2026.
After this date, Chinese players will no longer be able to purchase games or access other content from Nintendo’s digital store. In addition, starting May 15, 2026, players will no longer be able to download titles or redeem download codes, which means the end of the platform in the Asian country. This closure affects both paid and free-to-play games, as well as downloadable content.
Nintendo Switch servers to be shut down in China after just six years
The Nintendo Switch market in China was operated in partnership with Tencent. The Chinese tech giant acted as a local partner in the console distribution. The Nintendo Switch was released in China in 2020, but initially only included the game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Over the years, the Japanese company has worked on localizing and adapting other titles for the Chinese market. The console has thus gained a foothold in this important market.
The closure of Nintendo’s eShop in China marks the end of an era for the console. It should be added that in this market, due to international blocking and state registration of games imported from abroad, it never achieved the popularity it has experienced in other regions. Still, the Switch’s career in China seems to be relatively short. Nintendo 3DS services were discontinued in the country this year – no less than 12 years after its release…
Leave a Reply