Nintendo finally unifies Wii U and 3DS eShop accounts

Owners of Nintendo’s 3DS and Wii U consoles now have a way to link the two. Today’s promised version 7.0 update for the 3DS lets you log into the handheld system with a Nintendo Network ID, whether you’re creating one for the first time or carrying it over from the Wii U; in the latter scenario, you’ll finally be able to access the eShop with a unified balance across both systems. At least, that’s the theory — we were able to download the firmware update without any problems, but all attempts to access the eShop so far have returned a connection error, suggesting that Nintendo is suffering network issues.

The update also switches on support for the Miiverse social network, which launched alongside the Wii U and later came to web browsers. The Miiverse icon has been added to the top row on the lower screen, meaning that it can be accessed in-game like the browser and notes apps; you’ll be able to post screenshots and messages about the games you’re playing. Other tweaks include the removal of the five-time limit on transferring your 3DS’ data to a new console, and the camera app is now launched from the home screen by pressing L and R together.