Louvre Museum to End New Nintendo 3DS XL Audio Guides in September 2025

The Louvre Museum in Paris, known as one of the world’s most visited and iconic art institutions, has officially announced the upcoming discontinuation of its unique New Nintendo 3DS XL audio guide program.

Since its launch, this innovative partnership between the Louvre and Nintendo has provided millions of visitors with an interactive and immersive way to discover the museum’s extensive collections.

As confirmed on the museum’s official website, the dedicated New Nintendo 3DS XL consoles will no longer be available for audio-guided tours starting September 2025, as the Louvre transitions to a new visitor guidance system. The collaboration, which began in 2012 and expanded with the introduction of the New Nintendo 3DS XL, saw the handheld gaming device repurposed with custom software to offer detailed audio commentaries, interactive maps, high-resolution images, and tailored tour experiences for guests navigating the halls of the Louvre.

The 3DS platform allowed the museum to blend gaming technology with cultural enrichment, setting a precedent for innovative museum experiences worldwide. A representative statement from the Louvre Museum outlined that the 'New Nintendo 3DS XL audio guide services will be discontinued in September 2025 and replaced by a new system.' This decision follows changes in Nintendo’s overall support for the 3DS family; the console was discontinued in 2020, and official repair services have already ceased in several regions due to parts availability.

Without long-term support from the manufacturer, it has become necessary for the museum to consider alternative, modern solutions for visitor guidance. Since its debut, the New Nintendo 3DS XL audio guide system has received widespread praise from both tourists and museum professionals for its user-friendly interface and informative content.

The initiative was part of a broader movement by Nintendo to extend the reach of its hardware beyond entertainment, showcasing the adaptability of the Nintendo 3DS platform even after its commercial lifecycle. While details about the next-generation audio guide system remain under wraps, the retirement of the New Nintendo 3DS XL at the Louvre marks the end of a noteworthy chapter in museum technology.

Industry observers are now speculating about the future of the custom special edition consoles previously used in the program, as these units may become increasingly valuable to collectors, depending on how the museum manages their decommissioning. As the Louvre prepares for the transition, its collaboration with Nintendo stands as a significant case study in the intersection of gaming technology and cultural heritage management.

Both the museum and Nintendo have demonstrated a forward-thinking approach to enhancing the visitor experience with digital tools, and the legacy of the New Nintendo 3DS XL audio guides will continue to influence similar initiatives in museums and galleries around the globe.

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