Still Own A Wii U Console? Power It On Before It Bricks Itself
If the console goes too long without power, there is the risk of encountering flash memory corruption. If this happens, the console will display an error message regarding an issue with "system memory", along with an error code. The code is usually 160-0103, although there are a few others that can appear including error code 160-2155. Regardless of the code, they all mean the console’s flash memory is now corrupted.
The problem stems from the NAND memory Nintendo opted to use within the Nintendo Wii U. While there were different manufacturers used to source the chips, they appear to be of questionable quality as Nintendo was looking to save money after the Wii U failed to generate anywhere near the sales of its predecessor. According to Retro Blast, the original batch of Wii U consoles seem to have fewer issues.
The only way to fix it is to crack open the Wii U console and replace the memory chips, which will involve some advanced soldering skills. Additionally, there is a NAND recovery kit available from Voultar that will be necessary once new chips are installed. While it’s not an expensive fix, it’s likely it will be less accessible because most users will be unable to perform it. It’s a shame because many consoles will probably end up as e-waste.
This is an unfortunate situation, as many Wii U consoles have probably been stored away once the Switch was released. It’s especially tough in regard to preservation of games and hardware, as there weren’t that many Wii Us made because of its lackluster sales. Hopefully word gets out regarding this issue and most consoles can be saved.
