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What is the process required to transfer virtual console games from the Wii to the Wii U

Author

Emma Newman

Published Jul 31, 2026

I'm looking to buy the Wii U, and one of the major draws of it for me is transferring the virtual console games from a previous Wii. I've actually given the Wii to a relative, so I'd like to know what is involved with the process of transferring virtual console games from the Wii to the Wii u.

Do I need the physical Wii to do so? Do I only need information about the Wii (e.g. serial number)? Or would control of my nintendo store account be enough to re-download the virtual console games?

1 Answer

You require the physical Wii and an SD card to move everything over. Note that this is a "move", not a "copy"; everything that gets put on the Wii U will be deleted from the Wii.

Important! You will need to have both the Wii U and Wii on hand to perform a system transfer.

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3. If I transfer my games from Wii to Wii U, can I keep the games on both hardware?

  • Once the games are transferred from Wii to Wii U, the games are no longer usable on the Wii hardware.

4. I forgot to transfer my digital games before I traded in my hardware, can I get these games back?

  • Once the console is traded, we have no way to retrieve the data.

5. What Data is Transferred During a Wii to Wii U System Transfer, and what data is not Transferred?

The following is transferred during the system transfer process between a Wii and Wii U:

  • Wii Software Save Data
  • WiiWare and Save Data
  • Virtual Console titles and Save Data

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