Nintendo Wii: USB-C Kit

Description

The Nintendo Wii: USB-C Kit is a board that allows you to replace the original power connector with a modern and standard USB-C port.

If your original connector or power supply is too old or damaged and you need a new one, or if you would like to power your Nintendo Wii with a standard USB-C PD charger, such as the charger for your phone or laptop, you can do so with this kit.

This board is compatible with the following three models:

• Nintendo Wii
• Nintendo Wii Mini
• Nintendo Wii U

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The USB-C Power Delivery technology (USB-C PD) allows for communication between the device and the power supply(charger), enabling the negotiation of the voltage to be supplied through the USB-C cable. In this case, the microchip included on this board is configured to request 12V or 15V⁽¹⁾, signaling to the charger that it requires 12V or 15V⁽¹⁾ to run on. If the charger is compatible, it will supply the requested voltage. If it’s not compatible, nothing will happen, and the Nintendo Wii won’t power on.

(1) The circuit has a selection jumper; if you solder it in one position, the circuit will require 12V, and if you solder it in the other position, it will require 15V from the power supply.

FEATURES

• Similar size to the original connector.
• External power through USB-C.

INCLUDED

• 1 USB-C board.
• 1 right-angle 2-pin header for Wii and Wii Mini
• 1 straight-angle 2-pin header for Wii U.
• 1 Plastic cap for the USB-C board.

REQUIRED (NOT INCLUDED)

• Tri-wing and Phillips screwdrivers
• Soldering iron.
• Tin.
• Flux.
• Desoldering pump.
• Isopropyl alcohol.

NOTES

The Nintendo Wii and Wii Mini run on 12V and 3.5A, while the Nintendo Wii U runs on 15V and 5A.

Make sure your power supply with Power Delivery (PD) can provide the necessary voltage for your console model. Also, ensure that the supplied current is equal to or as close as possible to the amount required by the console.

The console’s disc reader consumes a significant amount of current, around 1.9A. So, if you don’t plan to use it for loading games, this can reduce the power requirements and allow you to use a power supply with lower specifications.

All tests were conducted with the same power supply used for the GameCube kit, providing 12V or 15V and 3A:

• Ikea SJÖSS 45W 12V 3A, 13€

You will also need a USB-C to USB-C cable for PD. If you don’t have one, these will work:

• Ikea SITTBRUNN USB-C to USB-C 1m
• Ikea LILLHULT USB-C to USB-C 1.5 m

DOCUMENTATION

• Installation Guide PDF
• GitHub repository