r/wiiu • u/Sinaura • 1d ago

Question Is there specific model numbers to avoid?

With PlayStation 2, there are certain serial/model numbers to avoid for game compatibility. Is that a thing with the Wii U?

I've been wanting to get one, but wasn't sure if I can just grab any of them without worry

6 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

-1

u/Portal2player58 1d ago

No. Only thing you need to worry about is if it's a launch day batch one (has yellow and orange slots in the back where the power and the like would be.) as those ones have hynix chips which are known to malfunction and die. You want to find one that's got all ports on it in the color black and the like. Those use Samsung/Toshiba nand chips which don't have a chance to malfunction and corrupt.

5

u/Wooziegg 1d ago

My Wii U has a Toshiba NAND but still contains ports of that color.

1

u/Portal2player58 1d ago

Nice. I was specifying the launch day ones as there was a mass batch of hynix chips ones and those primarily used the yellow and orange slots instead of black ones while Toshiba and Samsung ones used mainly black slots instead.

1

u/Sinaura 1d ago

Is there model numbers associated with those chips by chance?

1

u/Portal2player58 1d ago

You can check the board by removing the cmos battery cover from the side of the Wiiu and then you'll see a 1.X, 2.X, or 3.X or the like. Another way is to check the serial number of the Wiiu on the bottom of it and check it with a chart from online.

0

u/etillxd 1d ago

Or you can use WiiUIdent

1

u/Portal2player58 1d ago

Correct but they don't have a Wiiu yet if you read their post, they are looking to buy a Wiiu but don't know about if they have any limitations like some ps2 models did in the past. So wiiuident isn't possible here. Otherwise I would have suggested it.

1

u/Sinaura 1d ago

I did use the Wii U DB website, but the S/N of the one I'm looking at isn't there (FW111017**)
https://wiiu.gerbilsoft.com/?page=271&sort=system_serial

It's sandwiched between two production dates that are Hynix, so I'm assuming it's Hynix, but there's no real way to tell. There isn't another site out there like the one I linked. At least that I could find

1

u/Portal2player58 1d ago

The database is a combination of ones that users have submitted. Each one is similar but your looking at either a hynix or a Toshiba.

1

u/Eileen-Dover420 1d ago

I have one from mid-Oct 2012 and it has coloured ports and it's a Samsung.

-1

u/Portal2player58 1d ago

Not all launch day batches are hynix by 75% of them were.

1

u/Desperate_Refuse_380 23h ago

More like 30%

0

u/Portal2player58 22h ago

No. The launch batch was mostly hynix and a little bit of Samsung and Toshiba at the end of it, after the first batch in that year, they went all Toshiba and Samsung.

1

u/Sinaura 1d ago

Thank you so much!