NINTENDO’S console releases vary greatly in quality, with some lasting forever and others breaking when you look at them.
Most recently, the Nintendo Switch has been known for stick drift on its Joy-Con controllers, and the original 2DS had frequent issues with the screens breaking.
The last home console before the Switch, the Wii U, is in the middle of the spectrum but it does have unreliable elements like the GamePad and flash memory at its core.
Until recently, you could fix these issues by sending your console to Nintendo for repairs.
However, Nintendo recently announced that you will no longer be able to send in your Wii U for repairs anywhere in the world.
As of July 3, Nintendo stopped taking in Wii Us for repair, citing a lack of parts for the closure of the service.
The company announced last year that it would be shutting down the service as soon as the parts ran out.
The Wii U sold less than 10% of the units that the Nintendo Switch has sold, meaning that it is difficult to find parts even on the second-hand market.
Usually, when a console breaks and parts for it are no longer made, people will take parts from other consoles in order to make the necessary repairs.
As there are just 13million Wii U consoles on the market, working systems will become harder to find.
A particularly difficult issue with these consoles is that the GamePad is required for the Wii U to function, as it is more likely to break compared to the base system.
The GamePad was not sold separately from the main console making it even more difficult to repair.
Owners are now warned to be careful with their consoles, including storing the GamePad safely.
If you want to read more about Nintendo, check out the seven games added to Nintendo Switch Online.
Get the lowdown on more of the latest Nintendo Switch releases from our expert reviewers.
For Xbox Series X and PS5 reviews, check out our full game reviews section.
