The Louvre Bids Farewell to Its Nintendo 3DS Audio Guides

The Louvre Museum, a beacon of art and culture in Paris, has concluded its pioneering partnership with Nintendo, officially retiring the Nintendo 3DS audio guides that have served visitors for over a decade. This move, finalized on September 1, 2025, marks the end of an era for a collaboration that uniquely blended interactive gaming technology with traditional museum exploration. The decision to discontinue the service, initially announced as an upcoming change for September, brings to a close a program that provided a distinctive way for millions of visitors to engage with the museum's vast collections.

First launched in 2012, this innovative initiative saw Nintendo's 3DS handheld consoles transformed into comprehensive museum guides. Visitors could rent these devices to access detailed information, high-resolution images, and even 3D models of the museum's celebrated masterpieces. The software, which was also made available for purchase, offered an astounding array of content: over 600 images, more than 30 hours of audio commentary, and 400 reconstructive 3D models of museum spaces. This depth of content allowed for an unparalleled at-home experience, demonstrating the visionary leadership of figures like Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto, who personally showcased the project in a dedicated Nintendo Direct presentation in 2013.

The integration of a gaming console into a museum setting was, at the time, an unprecedented and forward-thinking approach to visitor engagement. It provided a dynamic and interactive layer to the traditional museum visit, particularly appealing to a younger, tech-savvy audience. For 13 years, the Nintendo 3DS offered a portable gateway to the Louvre's treasures, enriching the experience with its unique features. While the exact nature of the replacement system remains unconfirmed, speculation abounds regarding potential new technologies, possibly even an application for a future Nintendo console like the Switch or its successor, indicating a continued interest in leveraging technology for cultural enrichment.

This pioneering collaboration not only enhanced the visitor experience but also highlighted the potential for unexpected synergy between seemingly disparate fields—art and interactive entertainment. The 3DS audio guides stood as a testament to creative innovation, providing a bridge between digital interaction and tangible cultural heritage. Their retirement, while signaling a natural progression in technology and museum practices, also prompts reflection on the impactful and memorable legacy left by this remarkable blend of art and gaming.