Earlier this year, Nintendo said it would shut down all Wii U servers, which would put an end to multiplayer, co-op, and other services. Now, the company has Announced which is also wrapping up Wii U repairs, effectively giving the adorable but not very popular console.
In May, Nintendo announced the end of Wii U repairs. “The period for conserving repair parts as stipulated in the repair service regulations has expired, so as soon as the current stock of parts is exhausted, repair services will end,” the company wrote in a statement. Service notice. The Wii U is now listed as ineligible for repair on a End of life services pageas Nintendo announced.
The Wii U was launched in late 2012 as the successor to the Wii, but failed to convince consumers and sold only 13.56 million units. It was eventually replaced by the Switch, which has sold more than 10 times as many as the previous console, with 141.3 million units.
The Wii U's distinguishing feature was its Gamepad with a built-in 6.2-inch touchscreen. This allowed for both handheld and TV-connected gaming, a new feature at the time. The other key selling point was the first-party games like Pun, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario 3D World. At the time, they offered local multiplayer action that couldn't be found anywhere else.
It was also a quirky, strange, and fun console that “worked its way into the hearts of many gamers, including myself,” Engadget’s Jessica Conditt wrote in 2015. Nintendo plans to announce its Switch successor before March 2025, but if you still play Wii U games, you’ll need to take extra care of it now that repairs will be much more complicated.
