The Louvre has ended the use of 3DS consoles by Nintendo used as museum guides for over a decade.
For anyone who has visited the Louvre Museum in Paris, the console rental is one of the unmissable spots. In 2012, Nintendo struck a deal with the museum where it loaned them 5,000 3DS consoles, which were launched only a year back. The consoles were loaded with a huge library of 700 works, including their images, videos, and related audiobooks. The console also had geolocation of every work exhibited in the museum and over 30 hours of commentary to give an entire guided tour. Visitors could easily rent these consoles for a few euros. Later, Nintendo also launched a game cartridge for people to enjoy the tour from their homes.
However, this was in 2012 – when smartphones hadn’t become mainstream, and the 3DS (which had replaced audiobooks) seemed cutting-edge. Over the years, the console quickly became outdated compared to the technology around it. Nintendo itself moved to the superior Switch in 2017 and ceased production of the 3DS in 2020. Meanwhile, smartphones became the end-all destination for anyone seeking information in the museum. Technology like Google Lens left the 3DS console all but useless. The consoles were still offered to visitors, but there were hardly any takers – especially considering that it was a paid service. Faulty or damaged consoles were also no longer getting replaced.
As such, Louvre’s announcement to end the deal doesn’t surprise anyone, but it does end a chapter that might invoke nostalgia for many in the years to come.
