If you're the kind of person who always seems to have painfully limited storage space under your TV, then Wii must have come as a breath of fresh air when it launched back in the mid-2000s.
Unlike the Xbox 360 and PS3, Nintendo's console was compact, sleek and easy to fit into even the most cramped of AV setups. In fact, we've never looked at the Wii and thought, "Now, there's a system that could really do with being a little smaller." Heck, even when Nintendo tried to miniaturise the Wii, the resultant Wii Mini wasn't actually that much smaller.
Still, just because we don't need a smaller Wii doesn't mean the modding community won't give us one – so, with that in mind, say hello to Short Stack, which, at around the same size as a pack of playing cards, is officially the world's smallest Wii console.
The console has been "built with an 'Omega' trimmed original Wii motherboard, custom PCBs for power management, USB storage, and connectors, as well as a 3D printed case and custom milled heatsink," explains creator James Smith. "It leverages the open source fujiflex PCB to provide digital A/V output via HDMI and nandFlex to relocate the Wii's NAND to enable a tight trim, both designed by the very talented @YveltalGriffin."
Short Stack is powered by USB-C and uses GCVideo for lossless digital audio and video over HDMI. Wii controllers and other accessories connect via Bluetooth, while a MicroSD card is used to load games and store save data.
Despite its dinky 1:2.38 scale sizing when compared to the original Wii, Short Stack retains the original system's four GameCube controller ports. It even replicates the console's iconic glowing disc drive, although you obviously can't load discs.
Amazingly, Smith feels that it's possible to create an even smaller Wii:
It is definitely possible to go smaller than this. My version of the Omega trim keeps all four main mounting holes, which makes it around 7mm wider than a classic Omega trim. Additionally Wesk has managed to get a Wii motherboard down to 52x52mm on his final destination trim, which is a a full 10mm narrower than my trim. I estimate you could reduce the volume by a further 25-30% without losing any functionality, but it would be an incredibly tight fit and tricky to assemble.
If you fancy building one yourself, Smith has published all of the details on GitHub.