Nintendo President Says Switch Won't Replace 3DS

One of the Nintendo Switch's biggest features—and the one that gave the system its name—is the ability for players to undock the console from the television, turning it into a portable system almost instantaneously.

However, the addition of the Switch to Nintendo's storied lineup of portables doesn't mean the end is in sight for the company's current handheld, the 3DS—at least, not if Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has anything to say about it. Fils-Aime previously stated that the Switch and the 3DS would "coexist just fine," and in a new conversation with Wired's Chris Kohler, he confirmed, "There are [3DS] games that we haven't announced yet."

That position presents a stark contrast to the way Nintendo is handling the Wii U, which the company will stop supporting once the Switch arrives. While speaking at the Nintendo Store in New York as part of the Switch's big launch event, Fils-Aime confirmed that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which comes out alongside the Switch on March 3, will be the last first-party game published for Nintendo's struggling Wii successor; as he put it, "We really are at the end of life for Wii U."

Of course, Nintendo has made similar promises before, as when the company said the DS would be part of a "three pillar" strategy including a console, the DS, and the GameBoy Advance. However, after the Nintendo DS came out in 2004, first-party support for the GameBoy Advance dried up rather quickly. Let's hope the 3DS doesn't suffer the same fate—not only is the system still going strong, but it has a vast library of great games that will keep new owners and grizzled vets busy for hours.