The DSi Shop is dead, but is freeShop dead too? Nintendo shut down the DSi Shop in 2017, and the DSi Shop itself doesn’t offer DSiWare titles for download. While it was possible to download DSiWare games from the CDN, that is no longer possible. It’s not possible to create a freeShop application, so what can you do now? Here are some options.

DSiWare is dead

If you are a fan of the Nintendo DS, you probably have the same sentiment as I did: it is dead. DSiWare didn’t have many must-have applications, and the ones that were there were mostly shovelware or chopped-up bits of retail games. However, the 3DS eShop will have a great selection of games. So, if you’re a fan, it might be time to consider buying a new Nintendo console.

In 2019, we’re getting close to the end of DSiWare. For one thing, it was the worst download service. It was slow, unintuitive, and hardly showcased the developers’ best games. Developers’ games would be lost in a sea of shovelware. Still, the service did a good job with certain genres and games, such as rogue-like RTS titles.

But Nintendo isn’t ready to let the DSiWare era die just yet. Its sales dipped by over 50% in the past year, and its release schedule slowed down. And in its place, Nintendo launched the Switch, a dedicated handheld console that occupied some of the territory occupied by 3DS. Switch games are more affordable and more versatile than 3DS games, and most developers chose to focus on the new hardware instead.

While the 3DS is capable of playing DS games, the current market platforms cannot duplicate the original hardware experience. Even though the 3DS is more capable than the 3DS, the Switch can’t replicate the experimental weirdness that the DSiWare had. Besides, there are other shortcomings in the 3DS platform, such as the lack of native 3D support. However, its best feature is the ability to play DS games on other platforms, such as Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Vita.