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Nintendo Wii Discontinuation Date & Buying Guide (2024)

Nintendo officially discontinued the Wii in October 2013 (Japan) / November 2013 (North America/Europe). The Wii Mini (Canada 2012, US 2013) lasted until 2017.

Current Market Reality

New in Box: Extremely rare. Sealed Black/Red Wii: $300–$600+. Sealed Wii Mini: $200+.
Used (Console Only): $30–$60.
Used (Bundle w/ Wii Sports, Remote, Nunchuk): $50–$90.
Refurbished (w/ Warranty): $80–$130 (DKOldies, eStarland, local shops).

Model Differences Matter

Model	Model #	GameCube Ports	SD Slot	Wi-Fi	Notes
Original (White/Black/Red)	RVL-001	Yes (4)	Yes	Yes	Best for backward compatibility & homebrew.
Family Edition (Horizontal)	RVL-101	No	Yes	Yes	No GC ports/memory cards. Sits flat.
Wii Mini (Red/Blue)	RVL-201	No	No	No	No internet, no SD, no GC. Budget model. Avoid for homebrew.

Why Buy a Wii in 2024?

GameCube Backward Compatibility: Only RVL-001 plays GC discs natively (needs GC controller + memory card).
Homebrew King: Homebrew Channel, Nintendont (GC USB loading), WiiFlow, USB Loader GX, RetroArch Wii. Easy softmod (wii.guide).
Virtual Console / WiiWare: Hundreds of classic games (NES, SNES, N64, Genesis, TurboGrafx, Neo Geo). Shop closed 2019; requires homebrew to install WADs now.
Motion Classics: Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Mario Galaxy 1/2, Skyward Sword, Metroid Prime Trilogy, Xenoblade Chronicles, Pandora's Tower, Last Story.
Wii U Backward Compatibility: Wii U plays all Wii games (upscaled to 1080p) + GC via Nintendont.

Essential Accessories to Budget For

Wii Remote + MotionPlus (RVL-036): $15–$25 used. Avoid 3rd party.
Nunchuk: $8–$15.
Sensor Bar: Wireless ($15) or USB-powered ($8) – original needs Wii power port.
Component Cable (RVL-011): 480p progressive scan. Rare/expensive ($50+). Use Wii2HDMI ($15) or RetroTINK for HDMI.
GameCube Controller + Adapter: For Smash, GC games via Nintendont.
2GB SD Card (not SDHC): For homebrew apps/boot. Full-size SD.

Wii U Alternative

If you want HDMI, GamePad, 1080p Wii upscaling, and native GC support (via homebrew), a Wii U ($120–$180 used) is often the better single-console solution. Plays Wii, GC (Nintendont), DS/GB/GBA (Virtual Console), and Wii U exclusives.

Nintendo Wii