Nintendo To Discontinue Streaming Services on The Wii in 2019

• The Nintendo Wii will lose access to streaming services in January 2019.
• Services that will be pulled include Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Crunchyroll, and Amazon Prime Video.
• The move may indicate the services may move over to the Switch, which is Nintendo’s current flagship console.

After offering over a decade of entertainment, it is time to say goodbye to the streaming capabilities of the Nintendo Wii on January 31, 2019. Nintendo is set to suspend all video streaming services on the Wii, it's 2006 console that saw over 100 million users across the world. The streaming services that will leave the platform include paid services like Netflix as well as free options like YouTube. The change will affect only the Wii and not the Wii U.

The move was revealed by Netflix who sent out emails to Nintendo Wii owners stating “Unfortunately, Nintendo will suspend all video streaming services on Wii—including the Netflix Channel—after January 31, 2019. We hope you’ll soon enjoy an even better Netflix experience with additional features on a supported device. Please visit netflix.com/wii for our device list.”

It is unknown which “supported device” Netflix is talking about in their email. It may either be the Switch or an upcoming unannounced home console. The console has been one of the most successful products in the gaming market with hundreds of titles from popular first-party IPs like Mario, Zelda and more as well as third-party titles like Okami and Rayman.

The Wii Shop channel will also be shut down in January. With YouTube finally making it to the Nintendo Switch, it seems like the flagship console is where the streaming apps will eventually move to. The Switch only has access to Hulu and YouTube at the moment. Unlike the Wii and other popular Nintendo home consoles, the Switch is marketed as a gaming-only console, but with streaming apps making it to the handheld, it seems like Nintendo may finally open up the device to more third-party apps and not just games.

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