Nintendo just sold a brand new Wii U for the first time in over a year, says analyst

Nintendo Wii U
(Image credit: Nintendo)

Nintendo sold just one brand new Wii U unit in September, marking their first official sale of a Wii U system in over a year. That's according to Mat Piscatella, an industry analyst at the market research firm Circana.

With the brilliant Nintendo Switch absolutely dominating the sales charts, it’s no surprise that customers seem to have largely lost interest in Nintendo’s last generation hardware. The shifting of retail units has slowed to a crawl, with the previous reported Wii U sale taking place back in May 2022.

In fact, it is remarkably hard to find a brand new Wii U system on shelves thanks to Nintendo’s efforts to replace the stock with more recent offerings. Even so, Circana’s Retail Tracking Service (which monitors the sale of brand new products at various retailers across the US) suggests that one customer managed to bag a brand new Wii U in September.

Although the system still has its fair share of die-hard fans, it’s hard to imagine why many consumers would consider picking one up when the majority of its best titles are already available on the Nintendo Switch. Things become a little clearer when you consider the unit’s sale price, however, which was reportedly just $299.99.

Although this is very much in line with the console’s original retail price, which was $299.99 for the Basic Set or $349.99 for the Deluxe Set, the cost of second hand Wii U units has been rising steadily over the last few years thanks to their limited availability making this a steal for a potential collector.

If you're after some recommendations for your more recent Nintendo hardware, why not check out our top picks for the best Nintendo Switch games or best Nintendo Switch accessories?

Dashiell Wood
Gaming Editor

Dash is an experienced tech journalist who specializes in video games, electronic entertainment products, and the wider industry that surrounds them. He currently serves as the Gaming Editor at TechRadar, leading our review, preview, feature, and news coverage of the latest and greatest releases.

Before joining the team, he was Contributing Writer at PLAY (formerly Official PlayStation Magazine UK) and has written articles for many of the UK's other biggest gaming magazines including the likes of Edge, PC Gamer, and SFX.

Now, when he's not getting his greasy little mitts on the newest hardware or gaming gadget, he can be found listening to J-pop or feverishly devouring the latest Nintendo Switch otome.