Editing Wii

| releasedate = November 19, 2006<br />

* NA: November 19, 2006

* JP: December 2, 2006

* AUS: December 7, 2006

* EU: December 8, 2006

* NA: October 23, 2011

* EU: November 4, 2011

* AUS: November 11, 2011

* CAN: December 7, 2012

* EU: March 22, 2013

* NA: November 17, 2013

| lifespan = 2006–2013 <small>(original model)</small><br />2011–2013 <small>(Wii Family Edition)</small><br />2012–2017 <small>(Wii Mini)</small>

| price = [[United States dollar|US$]]249.99<br />[[Japanese yen|JP¥]]25,000<br />[[Pound sterling|£]]179.99<br />[[Australian dollar|AU$]]399.95<small>([[Wii launch#Release dates and pricing|details]])</small>

| discontinued = '''Wii (overall)'''

*JP: October 20, 2013

*NA: 2017

*EU: 2017

*AUS: 2017

'''Wii (original model)'''

*NA: October 2011

*EU: November 2011

*AUS: November 2011

*JP: October 20, 2013

'''Wii Family Edition'''

*EU: October 20, 2013

*NA: 2013

*AUS: 2017

'''Wii Mini'''

*WW: 2017

| unitssold = Worldwide: 101.63&nbsp;million <small>(2016-03-31)</small><!----><!-- SEE DISCUSSION PAGE ON SALES NUMBER --> <small>([[Wii#System Sales|details]])</small>

| media = Physical and digital

| cpu = 729&nbsp;MHz [[IBM]] [[PowerPC]] "[[Broadway (microprocessor)|Broadway]]"

| display = Video output formats

* [[Component video]] ([[YPbPr]]) <small>(480i, 576i&nbsp;(PAL), [[480p]])</small>

| GPU = 243&nbsp;MHz [[ATI Technologies|ATI]] [[Hollywood (graphics chip)|"Hollywood"]]

| controllers = [[Wii Remote]] ([[Wii Remote Plus|Plus]]), [[Wii Balance Board]], [[Nintendo GameCube controller]] <small>(first model only)</small>, [[Nintendo DS]]<!-- SEE DISCUSSION ON CLASSIC CONTROLLER -->

| connectivity = [[Wi-Fi]] [[IEEE 802.11]] [[IEEE 802.11b-1999|b]]/[[IEEE 802.11g-2003|g]]<br />[[Bluetooth]]<br />2 × [[Universal Serial Bus|USB 2.0]]<br />[[Local area network|LAN]] Adapter (via USB 2.0)

| service = [[Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection]] <small>(closed May 20, 2014)</small>, [[WiiConnect24]] <small>(closed June 27, 2013)</small>, [[Wii Shop Channel]] <small>(closing January 30, 2019)</small><!-- As quoted by Iwata, "Using a design called WiiConnect24, the console automatically enters standby mode without the fan running, but still operating key functions." This does not at all say that the online service itself is WiiConnect24. -->

| topgame = ''[[Wii Sports]]'' <small>([[Pack-in game|pack-in]], except in Japan and South Korea)</small> 82.86&nbsp;million <small>(2018-09-30)</small><br /> ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'', 37.14&nbsp;million <small>(2018-09-30)</small>

| compatibility = [[Gamecube|GameCube]] <small>(first model only)</small> <!-- Hardware compatibility only. Do not list Virtual Console as "compatible". Actual compatibility is with physical media, not emulated software. -->

The Wii console contains 512 [[megabyte]]s of internal non-removable [[flash memory]], and features an SD card slot for external storage. An SD card can be used for uploading photos and backing up [[saved game]] data and downloaded [[Virtual Console]] and [[WiiWare]] games. To use the SD slot for transferring game saves, an [[patch (computing)|update]] must be installed. Installation may be initiated from the Wii options menu through an Internet connection, or by inserting a game disc containing the update. Virtual Console data cannot be restored to any system except the unit of origin. An SD card can also be used to create customized in-game music from stored [[MP3]] files (as first shown in ''[[Excite Truck]]'') and music for the slide-show feature of the [[Photo Channel]]. Version 1.1 of the Photo Channel removed MP3 playback in favor of [[Advanced Audio Coding|AAC]] support.

At the Nintendo Fall Press Conference in October 2008, Satoru Iwata announced that Wii owners would have the option to download WiiWare and Virtual Console content directly onto an SD card. The option would offer an alternative to "address the console's insufficient memory storage". The announcement stated that it would be available in Japan in spring 2009; Nintendo made the update available on March 25. In addition to the previously announced feature, the update also allows users to play games directly from an SD card. The update also added support for [[Secure Digital|SDHC]] cards with up to 32&nbsp;GB of storage.

Nintendo has released few technical details regarding the Wii system, but some key facts have leaked through the press. Although none of these reports has been officially confirmed, they generally indicate that the console is an extension (or advancement) of the [[Nintendo GameCube]] architecture. Specifically, the analyses report that the Wii is roughly 1.5 to 2&nbsp;times as powerful as its predecessor. Based on specifications, the Wii has been called the least powerful of the major home consoles of its generation.

* [[Central processing unit|CPU]]: [[PowerPC]]-based [[Broadway (microprocessor)|Broadway]] processor, made with a [[90 nanometer|90&nbsp;nm]] [[Silicon on insulator|SOI]] [[CMOS]] process, reportedly clocked at 729&nbsp;[[Hertz|MHz]]

* [[Graphics processing unit|GPU]]: [[ATI Technologies|ATI]] [[Hollywood (graphics chip)|Hollywood GPU]] made with a 90&nbsp;nm CMOS process, reportedly clocked at 243&nbsp;[[Hertz|MHz]]

* 88&nbsp;[[Megabyte|MB]] [[Computer data storage|main memory]] (24&nbsp;MB internal [[1T-SRAM]] integrated into graphics package, 64&nbsp;MB external [[GDDR3]] SDRAM)

* Up to 16 Wii Remote controllers (10 in standard mode, 6 in one-time mode, connected wirelessly via [[Bluetooth]])

* Optional USB keyboard input in message board, Wii Shop and Internet channels (as of 3.0 and 3.1 firmware update)

* [[Mitsumi]] DWM-W004 WiFi 802.11b/g wireless module

* [[Mask ROM]] by Macronix

* Custom "AV Multi Out" port supporting [[composite video]], [[YPbPr|YP_BP_R]] [[component video]], [[S-Video]] ([[NTSC]] consoles only) and [[RGBS|RGB]] [[SCART]] ([[PAL]] consoles only)

* [[480p]] ([[PAL]]/[[NTSC]]), [[480i]] (PAL/NTSC) or [[576i]] (PAL), standard 4:3 and [[Aspect ratio (image)|16:9]] [[anamorphic widescreen]]

* Main: Stereo&nbsp;– [[Pro Logic II|Dolby Pro Logic II]]-capable

* 18&nbsp;[[Watt|W]] when switched on

* 9.6&nbsp;W in standby with [[WiiConnect24]] standby connection

* 1.3&nbsp;W in standby

{{clear}}

The first Wii system software update (via WiiConnect24) caused a small number of launch units to become [[Brick (electronics)|completely unusable]]. This forced users to either send their units to [[Nintendo]] for repairs (if they wished to retain their saved data) or exchange them for free replacements.

With the release of dual-layer Wii Optical Discs, Nintendo of America stated that some Wii systems may have difficulty reading the high-density software (due to a contaminated laser lens). Nintendo offers retail lens-cleaning kits and free console repairs for owners who experience this issue.

The Wii Remote can lose track of the Wii system it has been set to, requiring that it be reset and resynchronized. Nintendo's support website provides instructions for this process and troubleshooting related issues.

 

The latest firmware version for the Wii system is 2.2U. In order to use Channels requiring Internet access, a firmware update is required. -->

The Wii Menu interface is designed to emulate [[television channel]]s. Separate channels are graphically displayed in a grid, and are navigated using the pointer capability of the [[Wii Remote]]. Except for the Disc Channel, it is possible to change the arrangement by holding down the A and B buttons to "grab" channels and move them around. There are six primary channels: the Disc Channel, Mii Channel, Photo Channel, Wii Shop Channel, Forecast Channel and News Channel. The latter two were initially unavailable at launch, but were later activated in updates. The Wii + Internet Video Channel was pre-installed on all Wii consoles starting in October 2008. Additional channels are available for download from the [[Wii Shop Channel]] through [[WiiWare]], and appear with each [[Virtual Console]] title; these include the [[Everybody Votes Channel]], [[Internet Channel]], [[Check Mii Out Channel]] and the [[Nintendo Channel]].

Wii consoles with the original design are [[backward compatibility|backward-compatible]] with all [[Nintendo GameCube]] software, Nintendo GameCube Memory Cards and controllers. Software compatibility is achieved by the slot-loading drive's ability to accept [[Nintendo optical disc|Nintendo GameCube Game Discs]]. However, redesigned "Family Edition" Wiis and the Wii Mini are not backward-compatible.

A Wii console running a GameCube disc is restricted to GameCube functionality, and a GameCube controller is required to play GameCube titles. A Nintendo GameCube Memory Card is also necessary to save game progress and content, since the Wii internal flash memory will not save GameCube games. Also, backward compatibility is limited in some areas. For example, online and LAN-enabled features for Nintendo GameCube titles are unavailable on the Wii, since the console lacks serial ports for the [[Nintendo GameCube Broadband Adapter and Modem Adapter]].

The Wii system supports wireless connectivity with the [[Nintendo DS]] without any additional accessories. This connectivity allows the player to use the Nintendo DS microphone and [[touchscreen]] as inputs for Wii games. The first game utilizing Nintendo DS-Wii connectivity is ''[[Pokémon Battle Revolution]]''. Players with either the [[Pokémon Diamond and Pearl|''Pokémon Diamond'' or ''Pearl'']] Nintendo DS games are able to play battles using the Nintendo DS as a controller. ''[[Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time]]'', released on both Nintendo DS and Wii, features connectivity in which both games can advance simultaneously. Nintendo later released the [[Nintendo Channel]], which allows Wii owners to download [[game demo]]s or additional data to their Nintendo DS in a process similar to that of a [[DS Download Station]]. The console is also able to expand Nintendo DS games.

The Wii console connects to the Internet through its built-in [[IEEE 802.11#802.11b|802.11b]]/[[IEEE 802.11#802.11g|g]] Wi-Fi or through a USB-to-Ethernet adapter; either method allows players to access the [[Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection]] service. The service has several features for the console, including [[Virtual Console]], [[WiiConnect24]], the [[Internet Channel]], the [[Forecast Channel]], the [[Everybody Votes Channel]], the [[News Channel (Wii)|News Channel]] and the [[Mii|Check Mii Out Channel]]. The Wii can also communicate (and connect) with other Wii systems through a self-generated wireless [[local area network|LAN]], enabling local wireless multi-playing on different television sets. ''[[Battalion Wars 2]]'' first demonstrated this feature for non-split screen multi-playing between two (or more) televisions.

On April 9, 2008, the BBC announced that its online [[BBC iPlayer]] would be available on the Wii via the [[Internet Channel]] browser; however, some users experienced difficulty with the service. On November 18, 2009, [[BBC iPlayer]] on the Wii was launched as the BBC iPlayer Channel, a free downloadable channel from the [[Wii Shop Channel]]; however, the service was discontinued in early 2017.

[[Netflix]] was released as a downloadable channel for the Wii on October 18, 2010 in Canada and the United States. A survey conducted by [[Nielsen Holdings|Nielson]] revealed that 25% of Netflix subscribers used the Netflix Channel on the Wii as of July 2011.

[[Hulu]] announced in October 2011 that they would be releasing their [[streaming service]], Hulu Plus, on the Wii and the [[Nintendo 3DS]]. Hulu Plus was released on February 16, 2012 as a downloadable channel for the Wii.

[[YouTube]] was released as a downloadable channel for the Wii on December 15, 2012 in the United States. The YouTube Channel for the Wii was discontinued on June 28, 2017 as part of YouTube's plan to phase out availability on older devices.

[[Prime Video]], [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]]'s streaming service, was released on January 14, 2013 as a downloadable channel for the Wii.

[[Crunchyroll]], an [[anime]] streaming service, was released on October 15, 2015 as a downloadable channel for the Wii.

In 2018, Netflix announced that Nintendo would shut down support for video streaming services on the Wii on January 30, 2019, including Netflix.

The console features [[parental controls]], which can be used to prohibit younger users from playing games with content unsuitable for their age level. When one attempts to play a Wii or [[Virtual Console]] game, it reads the content rating encoded in the game data; if this rating is greater than the system's set age level, the game will not load without a password. Parental controls may also restrict Internet access, which blocks the [[Internet Channel]] and system-update features. Since the console is restricted to [[Nintendo GameCube]] functionality when playing Nintendo GameCube Game Discs, GameCube software is unaffected by Wii parental-control settings.

 

European units primarily use the [[Pan European Game Information|PEGI]] rating system, while North American units use the [[Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]] rating system. The Wii supports the rating systems of many countries, including [[Computer Entertainment Rating Organization|CERO]] in Japan, the [[Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle|USK]] in Germany, the [[Pan European Game Information|PEGI]] and [[British Board of Film Classification|BBFC]] in the United Kingdom, the [[Australian Classification Board|ACB]] in Australia and the [[Office of Film and Literature Classification (New Zealand)|OFLC]] in New Zealand. Homebrew developers have reverse-engineered the function which Nintendo uses to recover lost parental-control passwords, creating a simple script to obtain parental-control reset codes.

[[Category:Nintendo consoles]]