Wii Memory: GameCube Cards vs SD Cards vs Internal Storage

GameCube Memory Cards

• Work on Wii: Yes — Slot A/B (top flap) accept GC Memory Cards (59 blocks / 251 blocks / 1019 blocks).
• Only For: Saving GameCube game data played on Wii (via backward compatibility).
• Cannot Save: Wii game data, WiiWare, Virtual Console, channels.

SD Cards

• Not Used for Game Saves. Wii has no SD save support for retail/WiiWare games.
• Used For: Photos (Photo Channel), Wii Fit data, Shop Channel downloads (temporary), Homebrew (BootMii, apps), vWii (Wii U mode).
• Capacity: SDHC (4–32 GB) supported on System Menu 4.0+; SDXC (64 GB+) works if formatted FAT32.

Internal Memory (NAND)

• Original Wii: 512 MB (approx. 400 MB usable for saves/channels).
• Wii Mini: Zero internal memory. Requires USB drive for any saves (vWii only).
• Save Blocks: 1 block = 128 KB. Typical save: 1–20 blocks. 400 MB ≈ 3,000 blocks → hundreds of saves.

Expanding Storage

• USB HDD/Flash Drive (FAT32): For Wii game ISOs (USB Loader GX, WiiFlow), homebrew, NAND backups. Not for official Wii save data.
• NAND Emulation (EmuNAND): Redirects saves to USB/SD via CFW (advanced).

Summary Table

For most users: Internal NAND is plenty. GC players: Buy a 251-block GC card ($10–15). Homebrew: 16–32 GB SDHC + USB HDD.