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Watch a modder transform a Mac Mini into a Nintendo Wii

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Popular YouTuber Luke Miani has managed to fit the innards of an Apple M1-powered Mac Mini into a Nintendo Wii that can, among other things, game at 4K. Miani wondered what it would be like to fit the power and capability of the tried-and-true M1 Mac Mini into a more unique shell, say, an unassuming Nintendo Wii.

Converting an old Wii into an M1 Mac mini was the BEST IDEA

In his project, he proceeded to strip a Mac Mini, basically keeping the logic board, while modifying (or creating new) components as needed.

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One of the biggest hurdles was the power supply unit (PSU). According to the video, he borrowed from Snazzy Labs’ solution of using a Microsoft Surface charger to provide enough power into his PSU amalgamation, yet keeping the Wii’s power socket. To prevent throttling issues, Miani installed a smaller 12V fan to complement heat sinks.

A modified Nintendo Wii, shown running macOS on a monitor.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Fitting all the mods into the Wii casing required a bunch of hacking plus a few 3D-printed mounting plates and brackets. All said, the final result is pretty impressive. The system boots up and seems to run properly. Even the functioning I/O ports are nicely tucked away under a flap. The YouTuber mentions that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections weren’t as good as he would like, because only two out of three of the antenna bands made it to the build (the last one was still located on the Mac Mini bottom plate). His solution was to use an antenna from the Wii that had the same connection needed.

We can’t help but be impressed with the creativity of Miani here. His build not only has the capability of an M1 Mac Mini able to push 4K but combines it with one of the most iconic gaming console shells ever.

Aaron Leong
Aaron Leong
Former Computing Writer
Aaron enjoys all manner of tech - from mobile (phones/smartwear), audio (headphones/earbuds), computing (gaming/Chromebooks)…
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