Is It Normal for My Wii to Be Warm When It's Off?

Heating

• It is completely normal for the Wii to be warm, even when it is not turned on for playing. The Wii never fully shuts down unless you unplug it. Since the Wii is constantly powered by an electrical source, heat is generated inside. To reduce heat, the Wii has a built-in fan that eliminates warm air through vents in the back and side. When you play games on the Wii, this is when most heat is generated.

Power States

• There are three different power states with the Wii, indicated by the colored power light located above the power switch on the console's front. When the light is green, the Wii is turned on for playing. An orange light means that the Wii is in standby mode. In this state, the Wii uses its WiiConnect24 feature to download updates automatically if you have wireless Internet. According to Nintendo, "it enters its low power consumption standby mode, in which it uses about as much electricity as a small light bulb." The final state is identified by a red power light. This means that the Wii is not connected to the Internet, thereby using little power. With this in mind, some warmth is to be expected.

Overheating

• Although a warm Wii is not indicative of overheating, you should be concerned if the system is hot to the touch, despite being in the orange or red power states. In this case, it is likely that the heating vents are blocked by dust or an object, such as a wall. However, Nintendo has installed a countermeasure against heat damage. They explain that during play, the Wii "will shut down if it cannot vent properly to prevent overheating." If this problem does not happen, then your Wii is not dangerously hot.

Prevention

• Although the Wii will handle overheating on its own, you do not have to wait for that to happen. If the system's temperature is causing concern, some quick, regular maintenance will put your mind at ease. Use a vacuum cleaner and its brush attachment to suck out any dust from the vents. Also, do not place the Wii on a carpet and give its vents plenty of space to expel hot air.