Thinking about selling my Wii U and getting a Wii for retro games. Any advice?

[YukidaruPunch]

I've a Wii U and it's mostly connected to a tiny CRT TV and I use it for retro gaming. I don't have a lot of money, and I've been thinking about getting a cheap Wii (found one which looks good, has no Wiimotes but I've got them already) and selling my Wii U so I can still play my retro games and get some money as well. Ever since I discovered my notebook is able to emulate Breath of the Wild on Yuzu (which was the reason I'd bought the Wii U for) letting go of the system seems easier.

What should be I aware of if I'm changing my Wii U (which uses vWii) for a Wii? What are the upsides and downsides? I know that:

+ Real Wii can output 240p on Virtual Console, Wii U can't
+ Real Wii has better image quality than vWii on Wii U
+ Wii interface is just faster overall and the system is less cluttered than Wii U
- Wii U overclocks WiiSX and Wii64, BUT I honestly don't intend on using any of these at all since I can already emulate them better on my PlayStation Classic. The Classic can't do 240p for these systems but I can live with that
- No off-screen Gamepad support on Wii U VC injects and nintendont (doesn't really matter as I barely used it AND my intention is to play these retro games in the CRT after all)
- Wii can't emulate Nintendo DS (have a working 3DS and a DS Lite which I intend to refurbish)

Plus, I'll get some money which will honestly come in handy.

What else should be I aware of when it comes to retro gaming? What do I win or lose changing from Wii U to Wii? Does nintendont have any limitations besides not having Progressive Scan? My intention is mostly 16-bit era, GameCube and Wii. Any help is appreciated!

 

[godreborn]

I think you're good. You can use the same sd card and same vwii drive on the wii.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

Wii U has digital output (HDMI) by default. With TVs supporting analog input slowly disappearing this is a plus.
Wii U can do something one would not expect: Play Wii U games.

In terms of emulation the Wii is pretty much the same as the Wii U for me. Most of the time I prefer the Wii because: ease of use, quick boot, almost perfect brick protection for experiments. Didn't even bother modding vWii for most Wii U consoles.

But… getting rid of the Wii U? Something would be missing. I must be completely broke and VERY hungry to consider selling the Wii U.

 

[godreborn]

indeed. most modern tvs don't have component or composite inputs, just hdmi or mini-hdmi. kinda sucks. plus, a lot of modern tvs don't support low res like 240p. make sure yours can otherwise you'll have to buy equipment. I think you mentioned that in your op. I don't know if that's accurate or not though. it's usually psx and lower that use 240p.

 

[Kioku]

Ya know? I was in a similar situation once about a decade ago. Wanted some extra cash, and didn’t need a console since I only played previous generation titles. Sold it, wish I didn’t. Do you NEED the money? Don’t answer if you don’t feel comfortable. Just something to consider.

Seems weird to me that an intentional downgrade is considered a better route. I am not in your shoes, though. Just my two cents.

 

[godreborn]

yeah, I'm selling all my old systems for both money and the fact that I don't play 'em. they're all hacked or on an exploitable firmware. I want to do this while they're in good condition too. the thing could fail some day, and I wouldn't even know it probably. I have a ps2 with a working disc drive, which is kinda rare these days. it's very fast and works perfectly.

 

[KleinesSinchen]

Ya know? I was in a similar situation once about a decade ago. Wanted some extra cash, and didn’t need a console since I only played previous generation titles. Sold it, wish I didn’t. Do you NEED the money? Don’t answer if you don’t feel comfortable. Just something to consider.

Seems weird to me that an intentional downgrade is considered a better route. I am not in your shoes, though. Just my two cents.

Precisely.
Almost everything gaming related I sold over the years resulted in some kind of regret sooner or later. Much of the Nintendo stuff tends to get really expensive after some time. I bought so much late1990s and early 2000s from the (S)NES and GB(C) stuff – wish I bought everything triple or more. It was considered worthless, outdated junk back then. Looking at eBay prices for some of the consoles and games… I'm happy to have almost everything I wanted. Impossible to pay for all this now.

[…] the thing could fail some day,[…]

Good point! Sooner or later everything will become dust. With the Wii U we had our fair share of failures (NAND chips) recently on the forum.
In this regard: A bit of a gamble waiting for higher prices before selling.

With the old, less complex stuff I have the feeling one needs to use a big hammer to make them stop working.

 

[godreborn]

Precisely.
Almost everything gaming related I sold over the years resulted in some kind of regret sooner or later. Much of the Nintendo stuff tends to get really expensive after some time. I bought so much late1990s and early 2000s from the (S)NES and GB(C) stuff – wish I bought everything triple or more. It was considered worthless, outdated junk back then. Looking at eBay prices for some of the consoles and games… I'm happy to have almost everything I wanted. Impossible to pay for all this now.


Good point! Sooner or later everything will become dust. With the Wii U we had our fair share of failures (NAND chips) recently on the forum.
In this regard: A bit of a gamble waiting for higher prices before selling.

With the old, less complex stuff I have the feeling one needs to use a big hammer to make them stop working.

I'm putting my pokemon, oled switch up on facebook marketplace in a few hours. I sold the original oled in less than a day on there. local picked up, no fees, unlike the ripoff that is ebay.

 

[Kioku]

yeah, I'm selling all my old systems for both money and the fact that I don't play 'em. they're all hacked or on an exploitable firmware. I want to do this while they're in good condition too. the thing could fail some day, and I wouldn't even know it probably. I have a ps2 with a working disc drive, which is kinda rare these days. it's very fast and works perfectly.

Consolidating consoles is not a bad option, but I use what I have and try to not keep what I don’t.

 

[godreborn]

Consolidating consoles is not a bad option, but I use what I have and try to not keep what I don’t.

being on disability and only get $609/month is a good motivator. however, I can't have more than 2 grand. next month will kinda be an expensive month with multiple games releasing too.

 

[raxadian]

You can do a lot of Wii stuff on a hacked Wii U, unfortunately you can't use Gamecube controllers and memory cards.

Always get a White Wii,clean it inside and outside, make sure the fan is working and replace the termal paste if possible.

Use https://gbatemp.net/threads/best-wa...i-for-windows-official-support-thread.207126/ once you get a Wii.

Don't get a Wii mini, while it can be hacked nowadays, it is an inferior product with several limitations.

 

[SteffooM]

I've a Wii U and it's mostly connected to a tiny CRT TV and I use it for retro gaming. I don't have a lot of money, and I've been thinking about getting a cheap Wii (found one which looks good, has no Wiimotes but I've got them already) and selling my Wii U so I can still play my retro games and get some money as well. Ever since I discovered my notebook is able to emulate Breath of the Wild on Yuzu (which was the reason I'd bought the Wii U for) letting go of the system seems easier.

What should be I aware of if I'm changing my Wii U (which uses vWii) for a Wii? What are the upsides and downsides? I know that:

+ Real Wii can output 240p on Virtual Console, Wii U can't
+ Real Wii has better image quality than vWii on Wii U
+ Wii interface is just faster overall and the system is less cluttered than Wii U
- Wii U overclocks WiiSX and Wii64, BUT I honestly don't intend on using any of these at all since I can already emulate them better on my PlayStation Classic. The Classic can't do 240p for these systems but I can live with that
- No off-screen Gamepad support on Wii U VC injects and nintendont (doesn't really matter as I barely used it AND my intention is to play these retro games in the CRT after all)
- Wii can't emulate Nintendo DS (have a working 3DS and a DS Lite which I intend to refurbish)

Plus, I'll get some money which will honestly come in handy.

What else should be I aware of when it comes to retro gaming? What do I win or lose changing from Wii U to Wii? Does nintendont have any limitations besides not having Progressive Scan? My intention is mostly 16-bit era, GameCube and Wii. Any help is appreciated!

It depends on your needs but personally what makes Wii U beneficial for me is:
- Emulation of "newer" consoles like DS and - N64 through injection
- Native HDMI
- being able to play games semi handheld through the gamepad.
- wii u content in general

 

[morning_glory]

Go wherever your love interests persists, but ...
Just think it through with logic & what will work best for you
Choose it because it has greater apps support & use of ease. Your sanity depends on it.
Having your cake & eating it too, can be stressful & enjoyable

List of "yes" & "no" ticks should determine the direction you will want to go. Snap !!

 

[JuanMena]

No, a WiiU might be better just because it's probably the last "hybrid" console to support both Analog and Digital video signals.
A wii, will only accept component cables as "digital output" but compared to HDMI it's worse.

Besides, a WiiU has a better CPU which makes RetroArch and N64 games run better and increases compatibility than a regular Wii.

Take advantage of it.

 

[SylverReZ]

No, a WiiU might be better just because it's probably the last "hybrid" console to support both Analog and Digital video signals.
A wii, will only accept component cables as "digital output" but compared to HDMI it's worse.

Besides, a WiiU has a better CPU which makes RetroArch and N64 games run better and increases compatibility than a regular Wii.

Take advantage of it.

I honestly love my Wii U. Has a powerful CPU nearest to the Switch, has a good variety of games, and most importantly... supports original Wii games.