Paris, May 3, 2025 — In a move that marks the end of a groundbreaking digital collaboration, the Louvre Museum has announced that its pioneering Nintendo 3DS audio guides will be retired in September 2025. The decision, officially confirmed on the museum’s website, signals a new era in digital museum engagement as a yet-to-be-announced system is set to take its place. This change brings to a close a 13-year partnership between the Louvre and Nintendo—a collaboration that revolutionized how visitors interact with art in one of the world’s most visited museums.
Introduced in 2012 as an innovative alternative to traditional audio guides, the Nintendo 3DS system provided visitors with an immersive and interactive experience. The guides offered more than 30 hours of insightful audio commentary, over 600 high-quality images, and upwards of 400 interactive 3D reconstructions that allowed users to virtually navigate through museum rooms. Visitors could choose between themed tours—such as the “Masterpieces” tour, which highlighted iconic works like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, and the playful “Egypt for All the Family” tour—thus transforming a routine museum visit into an interactive educational adventure.
The innovative collaboration even garnered its own spotlight when Nintendo hosted a dedicated Direct back in 2013, celebrating the partnership and introducing the software to a global audience. Not only did the system deliver a novel interpretative experience of the Louvre’s extensive collection, but it also broke accessibility barriers. Disabled visitors benefited from specially designed features, including French sign language video guides, thereby ensuring that art appreciation was within reach for everyone.
While the details of the new system remain under wraps, experts in the fields of digital art and museum studies speculate that this upgrade could further integrate augmented reality and mobile connectivity—potentially ushering in interactive experiences that align with the ubiquity of modern handheld devices. Although it remains to be seen whether Nintendo will be involved in the next phase, the Louvre’s decision underscores a broader shift in the heritage sector toward embracing cutting-edge technology to enhance visitor engagement .
As the museum bids farewell to its beloved 3DS audio guides, art enthusiasts and tech aficionados alike are left to wonder what the future holds for digital museum experiences. The Louvre's transformative approach has not only set a benchmark for museums worldwide but has also sparked discussions on how technology can bridge the gap between classical art and contemporary digital interfaces. This evolution invites us to reimagine our cultural journeys, encouraging a dynamic dialogue between history and innovation.
