The Nintendo 3DS is receiving another nail in its coffin, as it has been revealed that the YouTube app for the system will soon cease to be supported by Google.
Nintendo 3DS users have received a notification confirming that the YouTube app will cease to work at the end of August. There has also been a post on the official Japanese Nintendo website confirming that the YouTube app will no longer be supported as of September 3.
The YouTube apps for the Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo Switch will continue to work as advertised for the foreseeable future, but it's likely that the Nintendo Wii U version of the app is currently writing its last will and testament. The Nintendo 3DS has a much larger install base than the Nintendo Wii U and there are still many people who use the system, especially now that it has become so cheap to purchase and the first-party games are often on sale. If Google doesn't want to support YouTube on the Nintendo 3DS, then the Nintendo Wii U version of the app can't be far behind in the unemployment line.
The Nintendo 3DS was a marked improvement over the Nintendo DS in terms of its online functionality, with a built-in Internet browser (which is something that the Nintendo Switch still lacks), the short-lived Swapnote messaging service that allowed people to send 3D notes to people on their friend list (again, something that the Nintendo Switch still doesn't have), and the excellent Miiverse social media platform. The Nintendo 3DS managed to be more accommodating in its online services than the Nintendo Switch has ever been and it never cost a penny extra.
The loss of the YouTube app is another blow to the Nintendo 3DS service, but it's to be expected. There are seldom few devices that can't access YouTube these days and most smartphones have a clearer screen than the Nintendo 2DS or Nintendo 3DS. The question now is what feature will be cut from the Nintendo 3DS next?
Source: Nintendo Japan