In a surprising turn of events, one brand new Wii U was reportedly sold in the US last month. This marks the first time a new Wii U has been sold in the country since May 2022. The sales data comes from industry analyst Mat Piscatella, who obtained the information through Circana, formerly known as The NPD Group. Circana collects sales data from various retailers, covering about 97% of the hardware market in the area. While this single sale may not hold much significance, it is remarkable that new stock of the Wii U is still available.
Nintendo’s official sales data reveals that the Wii U sold just over 13 million units in its lifetime. It was recently announced by the company that online play for this generation of hardware will be discontinued in early April 2024. It is possible that this impending discontinuation played a role in the recent sale. Despite the Wii U’s lackluster sales, Nintendo has been enjoying success in Japan with the new ‘Mario Red Edition’ Switch OLED model, experiencing doubled sales compared to the previous week and the same period last year.
The existence of a new Wii U sale raises questions about the availability and demand for this older console. Readers are invited to share their experiences encountering a “new” Wii U and when they last spotted one in the wild. It remains to be seen whether the Wii U will continue to find rare buyers or if it will eventually fade into obscurity. Overall, this solitary sale serves as a reminder of the Wii U’s place in gaming history and the enduring fascination surrounding outdated consoles.
