Nintendo will reportedly stop Wii U production this year (updated)

2016 is potentially the end of the road for the Wii U.

Nintendo is going to end production of its latest home console, according to separate reports from Japanese newspaper Nikkei and gaming news site Eurogamer. This will essentially put the struggling system out of its misery as the gaming company shifts from Wii U and the aging 3DS handheld to mobile games (like Miitomo) and its upcoming Nintendo Switch console/handheld hybrid. The Nikkei report said in March (as translated by gaming analyst Serkan Toto of Kantan Games) that Nintendo has already stopped making certain Wii U accessories. The Wii U has fallen far behind its Microsoft and Sony competition despite having a one-year headstart on the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. In a gaming industry worth $99.6 billion, Nintendo doesn’t want to give up any more ground while putting money into a sinking platform.