news hardware It turns a Nintendo Wii into a Mac M1 mini and it works!
If you’ve ever enjoyed playing mad scientist, you know how much fun it is to fully create or repair an object that seems extremely complex to you. For once, an American videographer m akes a crazy bet: turning a Nintendo Wii into a Mac M1 Mini!
Nintendo Wi x Mac M1 Mini: a size issue…
The Nintendo Wii, or better known as the Wii, is the most iconic Nintendo console of the 2000s. In fact, the little Japanese craftsman stood out in 2006 with the release of a Motion Gaming-based console. While the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 battled it out to see who was the greatest, the Wii has established itself as the console of choice for the youngest, but also for grandmothers. There are many games that have achieved cult status, such as Wii Sports or Mario Kart 7, which was the first installment for many players.
For its part, Apple develops its Mac Minis, small desktop computers that use all the knowledge of the Apple brand to embed very good processors in an extremely compact format.
But then what does it matter if we marry the two of them? That’s the bet of videographer Luke Miani, who simply attempted to turn a Wii into a Mac M1 Mini. Obviously there are many problems. Boning the two beasts, the YouTuber naturally noticed the size difference between the two boxes. The solution ? We cut everything! Of course, the videographer is known for his excellent work with electronics, so he makes the decision to cut out the top part of the Wii case so that all the components of the Mac Mini fit perfectly.
Second concern: energy consumption. Even if the two products have the same voltage, the electric current needs to be transformed and adjusted in order for the Mac Mini M1 processor to draw the maximum power. The videographer found a solution by using a Microsoft Surface charger to match the voltage of the Wii’s power connector to the Mac Mini’s motherboard.
Of course, the Wii’s case doesn’t fit the Mac Mini’s motherboard, so Luke Miani opts for a custom prop that he 3D printed himself.
MacOS doesn’t like changes…
After having an issue with getting power to keep the processor working properly, the videographer faces another problem: connectivity. The concern is the following, it is necessary to successfully establish the connection between the peripherals and the operating system.
The Mac Mini M1 requires three antennas to operate wireless devices. Luckily, the Youtuber was quick to note that the Wii’s original antenna is exactly the same as the Mac’s, despite the console being released in 2006. So the connection problem is solved with this unexpected solution.
After gathering all these beautiful people, the videographer finally pulls off the feat of turning a Nintendo Wii into a Mac Mini M1. Ironically, Luke Miani finishes his video playing Mario Kart Wii in 4K with an emulator.
