Modder makes Wii based on Apple M1 for retro gaming

Apple’s latest Mac Mini and the 2006 Nintendo Wii console are the same size, which is enough to get the modder to work. Combining the power of Apple’s small desktop computer with its own silicon and nostalgia for an adorable 16-year-old console, YouTuber Luke Miani showed exactly what can happen when you pair an Apple Mac Mini with a Nintendo Wii.

Miani noted that the diminutive Apple desktop and the outdated Nintendo console are the same size. The Mac Mini measures 7.7×7.7×1.4 inches, while the Wii (according to PCWorld via the Wayback Machine) measures 8.5×6×~2 inches. Miani aimed to make the Mac Mini less “boring”by moving its innards to the Wii.

Although the devices are the same size, Miani had to shave off the top of the Wii’s body so that it could fit the I/O ports where the Wii’s controller jacks are. He also had to make some changes to keep the hatches still closed.

Miani also needed a smaller fan than the Mac Mini. He chose a 12V fan, which he said was the same size as the fan that was originally inside the Wii. As we’ve learned from systems like the MacBook Air, the Apple M1 chip can run smoothly without a fan. However, Miani noted that temperatures (he didn’t elaborate on whether he was referring to skin temperature or something) quickly hit 100° Celsius on his fanless mod and then throttled back. The YouTuber said his mod scored 7342 on the Cinebench R23 test, compared to 6158 without a fan and 7725 with the original Mac Mini fan.

A new power solution was also required because the Mac Mini’s 150W power supply was not suitable. The Wii’s power supply was not powerful enough to run the system without throttling at peak load. So, the wizard ended up cutting off the end of the Wii charger and plugging it into the Microsoft Surface charger. The power then passes through the buck converter and then through the system logic board.

The YouTuber praised his project as “perhaps quite rewarding”due to the M1’s stated penchant for emulating retro games. Miani’s video ended with him using his Apple Wii to play Mario Kart Wii scaled up for his 4K TV and Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for the Nintendo GameCube. Miani also said that he used the Nintendo Mac Mini to successfully play PlayStation 2 games.

You can watch Miani’s full video below:

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