Nintendo 3DS System Update Is All About The Saves

Nintendo 3DS received a downloadable update today, and if you're all about the saves, then you're in luck.

With the new update, 3DS owners can transfer save data from the retail version of a game to the downloadable version. The catch, of course, is they must purchase the digital version of the same title. Data transferred to the digital version, however, cannot be sent back to the physical version.

The update also enables players to download items in the background when their 3DS is in Sleep Mode. Items are now downloadable as the Nintendo eShop is running. Simply close the cover of your system, and the Download Later feature will be activated to download your respective games or applications.

This update will help Nintendo users who want to clear their physical collection and fully commit to a digital, 3DS future. Nostalgic gamers who grew up collecting cartridges may feel ambivalent, or even threatened, with this gradual shift in gaming.