Louvre Museum to End Nintendo 3DS Audio Guide Service After 13 Years: What’s Next?
After 13 years of guiding visitors through its hallowed halls, the Louvre Museum in Paris is preparing to retire its unique audio guide system powered by the Nintendo 3DS. Launched in Spring 2012, this innovative collaboration between the museum and Nintendo allowed visitors to rent a 3DS handheld for €6, providing them with a wealth of information, images, and 3D models to enhance their experience.
The bespoke app, spearheaded by Shigeru Miyamoto himself, utilized geolocation tracking to help visitors navigate the Louvre’s vast collection. With over 30 hours of audio commentaries available in multiple languages, including English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Japanese, Korean and Chinese, the 3DS audio guide offered a comprehensive and immersive tour of the museum's masterpieces.
“The New Nintendo 3DS console audio guides will go out of operation in September 2025, to be replaced by a new system,” a statement on the official Musée du Louvre website reveals. While the news marks the end of an era, it also raises the question: what's next for the Louvre's audio guide system?
The original system allowed visitors to learn about the history of the palace as well as the artworks, in addition to providing high-resolution images. Lost in the crowd? A geolocation tracking capability also helped people find their way around the 782,910 square feet of space.
It remains unclear whether the Louvre will partner with Nintendo again, perhaps utilizing Nintendo Switch Lite handhelds, or opt for an entirely different solution. Neither the Louvre nor Nintendo has released further details about the new system.
Back in 2013, Nintendo even released a standalone version of the software on the 3DS eShop, named Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre, allowing users to explore the museum virtually from the comfort of their homes. Nintendo showcased the software in a dedicated Nintendo Direct presentation, featuring Miyamoto and Satoru Iwata exploring the museum. An accompanying Iwata Asks discussion revealed that Miyamoto had playful ideas for extra animations, such as giving the Venus de Milo arms, but the Louvre wasn't entirely on board.
The 3DS audio guide also catered to disabled visitors, offering a video guided tour in French sign language covering the Louvre's major works.
As the Louvre prepares to bid farewell to its Nintendo 3DS audio guides, the tech world is left wondering what the future holds. Will the museum embrace a new era of interactive technology, or will it revert to more traditional methods? Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments below!
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