November 30, 2024, 10:34 am | Read time: 3 minutes
It is true that it is an older Nintendo console. But the Wii U could still be in many households. Owners should switch on their Wii U immediately if they want to prevent the worst from happening.
In many cases, electrical appliances of all kinds are simply very useful and/or entertaining. However, not all of them are built to last. But while some of them are sensitive to heat, cold, or shocks, there are also those that literally “die of boredom.” And that’s exactly why you should urgently switch on the old Wii U.
Switch on the Wii U urgently – what’s behind it
Nintendo’s Wii U was launched in 2012 and thus belongs to the previous console generation, which also includes the PS4 and Xbox One. The Nintendo Switch has been an extremely successful successor model since 2017, which makes its predecessor seem rather old-fashioned. But if you still have it at home, you should switch on your Wii U now.
An X post by retro console specialist Retro Blast points out the problem with the outdated hardware. According to the post, Wii U consoles would literally ‘die’ if they were left unplugged for too long. This has already happened to his own console, which is now broken.
Why the Wii U can break
He doesn’t seem to be alone in this, as reported by Clownfish TV. It says that there has recently been a sharp increase in the number of consoles that develop an irreparable defect without any action on their part. This could be due to the memory chips installed in them. These used to come from three different manufacturers: Toshiba, Samsung, and Hynix.
They appear to differ significantly in terms of quality, as the chips from Hynix are said to be particularly susceptible to permanent failure. And these are mainly found in the black models of Nintendo’s 2012 development. So, if you own one of these, you should switch on the Wii U quickly. Long idle time could corrupt memory.
Due to the different chip manufacturers involved at the time, Retro Blast calls the problem a “lottery.” This is because it is basically impossible to know whether you are affected or not. In this case, players would receive an error message indicating an error with the system memory.
Nintendo cut corners in the wrong place
If you want to identify the exact chipset, you can either open your Wii U and have a look or go to the BIOS menu to get the information. Meanwhile, the original white Wii U is said to be far more reliable.
This is said to be partly due to the fact that, in addition to the corresponding chips, generally higher-quality components are also installed, which Nintendo apparently skimped on in later models. The problem could, therefore, become more frequent.
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There is a workaround
To prevent the problem, you should, therefore, switch on the Wii U regularly and check games and apps. The modder scene has also developed its own hardware solution for this problem with “NAND-Aid.” However, this requires not only a small financial investment but, above all, technical knowledge and a lot of dexterity for installation.
Incidentally, this is a problem that can also occur elsewhere – and Nintendo itself has drawn attention to it. Back in 2020, the company announced that the Nintendo Switch should not be left inactive for too long, as this can damage the battery.