Nintendo has run out of parts to fix broken Wii U consoles, as the failed format takes its final step towards the grave. The Wii U was such a failure it broke the entire concept of console generations. Released in 2012, as a follow-up to the hugely successful Wii , it was a complete disaster from the very start, with a poor line-up of games and bafflingly little marketing.
Despite the success of the Wii, most people didn’t even know the console existed, with the original model being discontinued in 2015 and all production ceasing in 2016 . In 2017 it was replaced by the Switch – Nintendo’s second console of the generation – and apart from a steady supply of ports, of the Wii U’s small selection of exclusive games, the console was quickly forgotten about – until now, as Nintendo announces that it’s ending all hardware support for the format. Nintendo already closed the Wii U’s eShop last March , but they were still offering free repairs in Japan, until they announced that they’ve run out of spare parts.
There was already a warning last May that support would only last as long as the spare parts did, with repairs in the West already having stopped due to a lack of demand. Although few will mourn the passing of the Wii U it does take with it a number of very good exclusives. For reasons that remain unclear, the excellent Xenoblade Chronicles X still hasn’t been ported to the Switch.
Some assumed it was being held back to fill in the current period before the .
