According to Android Authority, Nintendo is expanding its Store mobile app beyond Japan to users in the US, Canada, the UK, and Europe. The app previously existed as the Japan-exclusive My Nintendo app but now offers global shopping for Switch consoles, Switch 2 hardware, accessories, and both physical and digital games. Users can browse merchandise, get push notifications for wish list sales, and access the latest Nintendo news. The app requires a Nintendo Account sign-in to review play activity, and you’ll need to link your Nintendo Network ID to see 3DS and Wii U data—but only up to February 2020.
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Finally catching up
Look, Nintendo has always been… let’s call it deliberate about mobile strategy. They dipped toes with games like Mario Run, but a dedicated shopping app? That’s basic stuff most companies sorted out years ago. Basically, they’re playing catch-up while trying to maintain that distinctive Nintendo ecosystem control.
And here’s the thing—this isn’t just about convenience. It’s about data. By centralizing shopping, wish lists, and play activity, Nintendo gets a clearer picture of user behavior across regions. That’s valuable intel, especially with the Switch 2 looming. But the February 2020 cutoff for 3DS and Wii U data? That feels arbitrary and honestly a bit disappointing for preservation-minded fans.
What this actually changes
So what does this mean for you? Well, if you’re the type who checks the eShop regularly or follows Nintendo news, this could be genuinely useful. Push notifications for sales? That’s a quality-of-life improvement over manually checking. But I’m skeptical about how many people really need another shopping app on their phone.
The play activity tracking is interesting though. Nintendo has always been quirky about data—remember the 3DS activity log that showed exactly how many hours you wasted on Animal Crossing? Bringing that to mobile, even in limited form, maintains that charming Nintendo personality. But why not include more recent data from older systems? It seems like they’re drawing a firm line between the Switch era and everything that came before.
The bigger picture
This feels like Nintendo preparing for the Switch 2 ecosystem. Getting users accustomed to mobile shopping and centralized accounts now makes the next console transition smoother. They’re building the infrastructure before they need it, which is actually pretty smart for a company that sometimes feels allergic to modern platform conventions.
But let’s be real—is this going to revolutionize how people interact with Nintendo? Probably not. It’s more like finally having a proper digital storefront instead of that clunky website. Still, it’s progress. And in Nintendo’s world, progress often comes years after everyone else figured it out.
