Key recommendations
- Power on Wii U to prevent memory corruption issues according to user reports.
- Some Wii U consoles may experience memory failure due to lack of power.
- The Wii U community is working on solutions for the memory failure, but it's not a simple fix.
Nintendo Wii U Owners may have to reboot their consoles due to possible system death. The Wii U has been around since 2012, so understandably there may be some lingering concerns about its lifespan.
Some consider the system an overall failure compared to its successful predecessor, the Wii, due to the extreme difference in sales between the two consoles. Not to mention, the platform also had a smaller list of available games than its contemporaries, most of which are now available on other systems as well. With many now thinking that Wii U games should be ported to the Switch 2, there might be even less reason for owners to naturally fire up their consoles. However, a new report may force Wii U owners to check their system again.
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A tweet from Retro Blast's Patrick B encouraged users to plug in their Wii U right away. Based on their experience, the system suffered memory corruption because it had no power for a long time. Although other error codes were said to vary for some users, all of the codes meant that there was a problem with the system memory. The Wii U's memory chips were made by Toshiba, Samsung and Hynix, with the latter being the most prone to failure. With Nintendo previously stating that the Wii U has run out of spare parts, gamers experiencing a memory failure on their system may be out of luck. However, it is important to note that Nintendo has not commented on this situation. There is still the possibility that other factors may induce these errors.
How can Wii U owners fix the problem?
Retro Blast advised owners to play games and load apps at system startup as the effects could sometimes be delayed. The user also shared a possible solution called NAND-AID made by Twitter user vouultar. NAND-AID is a physical ENIG interface that replaces the failed eNAND and acts as a replacement. It looks like the platform might have a chance to survive as the Wii U community could come up with many creative solutions to fix the issue at hand. However, the solution is still not as easy as plug-and-play at this point, as it deals with internal chipsets.
However, this seems to be a valid concern for many console owners in the modern age. Retro Blast asked why consoles like the N64 from 1996 are more durable than the Wii U, which was released over a decade ago. With modern features coming with newer systems, the possibility to worry could increase as well. Those who collect older consoles, such as the Wii U, may need to check their systems and take them out of display cases from time to time.
Nintendo Wii U
The Nintendo Wii U was the original successor to the Nintendo Wii and featured improved motion controls as well as a new controller that featured a tablet touch screen interface. It was part of the eighth generation of the console wars and went head-to-head with the Xbox One and PS4.
- mark
- Nintendo
- Initial release date
- November 18, 2012
- Original MSRP ($)
- $299 Deluxe Sets: $349
- Weight
- 3.3 lbs
