The Wii U era has finally, definitively come to an end. Nintendo Japan says it has, at long last, run out of the parts required to continue repairing Wii U consoles and peripherals. As such, the repair shop is now permanently closed to the platform.
The news came from a pair of posts on the company’s Japanese social media accounts.
“We have posted “Notice regarding the planned end of repairs for the Wii U console and peripherals.”” reads a translation of the first post.
“We have run out of parts necessary for repairs,” reads a translation of the second, “so as of July 3, 2024, we will no longer be accepting repairs for Wii U consoles and peripherals.”
For Wii U owners in many parts of the world, this news will come as no shock. There are many parts of the world where Nintendo has formally ceased repairs for the Wii U platform — Australia is one of them. Nintendo, even here in Aus, has always been pretty good (not perfect, but pretty good) about repairing older consoles for a fee well after they’d become obsolete. But when the Japanese mothership packs up its tools, you know it’s truly over.
The news that repairs will cease follows the closing of the 3DS and Wii U online shops in April. Though the console has been in Nintendo’s rearview mirror for many years now, there is a portion of its fan base that remains very attached to the Wii era that created it. A generation of kids that grew up with the Wii and the Wii U are enduring the same pains as those of us who grew up with the NES and the SNES. We watch, powerless, as Nintendo pushes these machines that mean so much to us off from the dock, as it looks to the future.
The good news is that there are still plenty of small-time electronics professionals who can help you repair a dead or dying Wii U. A simple google for Nintendo Australia Wii U Repair provides numerous results in every major Australian city. So, don’t worry: even if Nintendo can’t repair them for you, there are still folks out there who know what they’re doing and can give it a go for you.
You could also pick up a second-hand one on eBay. Despite the odd seller asking a fortune, most people seem happy to part with their old consoles for under $200 AUD.
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