The Nintendo Wii is one of the best-selling consoles of all time. If you wish to know how to connect this device to a Wii for projector-based gaming then you’ve come to the right article.
It has finally happened. The Nintendo Wii, released back in 2006, is now considered old-school because it’s literally 15-16 years old in age now. “Old-school” gamers are familiar with the Nintendo Wii and its motion control gimmick.
On that note, let’s discuss how to connect Wii to the projector. It’s the most cinematic way for you to play Wii Sports or Super Smash Bros. Brawl for sure!
How to Connect Wii to Projector
Use a standard-definition projector—most likely an LCD projector—and connect your Wii to it using standard RCA A/V cables or a VGA adapter. Preferably, get a projector made around 2006 or so to have the right ports and connectors available that match those used by the Wii.
Because of the Wii’s motion sensors, you have to find a way to connect it to a ceiling-mounted or wall-mounted projector from far away to have it project your game on the projector screen while at the same time being within range of your Wii-Mote or Wii Remote to detect your motion.
You can go upscale the 480p resolution of the Wii to HD or Full HD by connecting the Wii to a modern HD projector with component cables and a component-to-HDMI adapter.
What is the Nintendo Wii?
For those from the Xbox One or PS4 generation of gaming, the Nintendo Wii is a gaming console from the seventh generation of gaming consoles (the generation including Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Sony PlayStation 3). It was released in November 19, 2006.
In contrast, the NES is Third Generation while the SNES and Sega Genesis are Fourth Generation. Also, the Atari 2600 is Second Generation and the Magnavox Odyssey and Pong Consoles are First Generation.
What separated the Wii from the PS3 and the Xbox 360 is its built-in motion sensor controls and remote-like controller you’re supposed to wave around to allow you to play motion-based games.
The Best Way to Connect the Wii to Projector
Let’s say you decided to use an ultra short throw (UST) or pico projector with an HDMI connection for HD resolution projection for your Wii. For this, you’ll need a Hyperkin HD cable for the WIi.
- Basically an HDMI Cable Adapter: The thing that makes the Hyperkin HD cable adapter special is its connectors. On one end of it is a Nintendo cord that connects to the video port of the Wii. The other end is a standard HDMI connector.
- Adapter Alternatives: If you can’t get a Hyperkin HD cable you’ll need an AV-Out to HDMI-In adapter to allow an HDMI cable to connect to your Wii’s AV port. The idea here is to connect to the video port of your projector somehow.
- Plug in to the Right Ends: Plug the Nintendo AV connector to the Wii then plug the HDMI end to the projector. Select the HDMI port in which you plugged the cable by your projector remote. If it’s the only port it should automatically detect your Nintendo Wii.
- Watch Out for Flickering: When you first connect the Hyperkin HD cable for Wii to your projector, you might experience some line flickering from your projector screen. This is a flaw that you can fix by unplugging the cable then putting it back in.
Alternative Ways to Connect Your Wii to Projector
You can also use the Wii to HDMI Converter in order to connect the projector to the Wii. With the help of this device, you can easily connect any HDMI-based HD projector to your Nintendo Wii via an ordinary HDMI cable.
- Better Image Quality: Even though Wii and Wii games all have a native 480p resolution, the upscale you can get from the Wii to HDMI converter improves the image quality a little. It’s one of the better upscalers out there.
- Sound or Audio Support: The converter also allows you to connect to external speakers like JBL, Bose, Sony, Yamaha, and so forth as well as AV receivers to allow for more complicated home cinema sound systems with its 3.5mm audio jack.
- Audio Could’ve Been Better: Its 3.5mm audio jack is universally accepted as a connection standard to even Bluetooth external speakers. However, this doesn’t provide the absolute best sound quality compared to an optical TOSLINK or S/PDIF connection as well as HDMI-ARC.
- Build Quality is Questionable: We also favor the Hyperkin HD cable over the Wii to HDMI Converter because the connector’s outer shell and inner circuitry have had complaints of coming out when you suddenly unplug it. It’s not very well-built for a converter of its price.
Can You Play the Wii on a Projector?
Sure. However, it comes with certain considerations and caveats to keep in mind. First off, the Wii isn’t HD. Nintendo at the time hadn’t taken the leap to HD and focused more on DVD-level quality of SD 480p. Many of its games are also fitted for CRT TVs. To wit:
- You’ll Need Some Sort of Adapter or Converter: For the Wii to work on modern projectors with widescreen aspect ratio and HD resolution, you need adapters or converters like the AV to HDMI Adapter, the Wii to HDMI Converter or the Hyperkin Adapter.
- Use an Older Projector: The Wii was released all the way back in 2006, when YouTube was a year old. It has AV connections and worked in CRT monitors or TVs. Thusly, you should get a 2006 projector with an AV port or VGA projector with a VGA adapter to ensure compatibility.
- AV Connections at the Time: The AV connections used by Wii include Composite RCA cables (three connectors colored yellow, red, and white), S-video, and component video connectors (RGB video connectors and twin red and white audio connectors).
- Converters vs. Adapters: Adapters are just cables with different ends to convert one data to another data, allowing for two disparate devices (like a standard-definition Wii and a high-definition projector) to connect. A converter is a whole console or box with its own plug.
Q&A
How do you hook up a Wii to a projector?
A/V Cable Coupler and Extender or Short-Throw Projector: Using Extension Cables with the Wii’s A/V Cables: If your projector is further away than 8 feet or if it’s on the ceiling, you’ll need to extend its port or extend the connector of your Wii beyond that 8 feet of space by getting a video cable coupler and a second …
Can I connect my Wii to HDMI?
The Wii console is not compatible with HDMI. If you wish to view the Wii console with a higher quality image, component video cables can be purchased instead.
Can I play Wii on a projector?
Can you play Wii on a projector? Yes, you can connect your projector with the Wii. For that, you will need the Hyperkin HD cable or Wii to HDMI converter, or AV to HDMI adapter. All the above three things you can consider to use when your projector has an HDMI port.
How do you connect a wireless sensor bar to the Wii?
How to Set the Sensor Bar Position
- From the Wii U Menu, select System Settings.
- Using the Left Stick scroll to the Wii Remote and Sensor Bar icon and press the A Button. Wii Remote and Sensor Bar selected in System Settings.
- Select Set Sensor-Bar Position.
- Tap Above TV or Below TV.
- Tap OK to confirm.
Can you play Wii without a Sensor Bar?
It is possible to use your Wii console without the sensor bar by setting up a different source of infrared light. The sensor bar has two infrared light sources at both ends, which act as a reference point for your Wii Remote. The sensor bar does not transmit any data to the console.
What can I use instead of the Wii sensor bar?
Place two lit candles roughly as far apart as the sensor bar is wide. In your Wii’s settings, choose whether the candles are above or below the television just like you would for the sensor bar. Aim the WiiMote between the two candles and your pointer will respond on the screen like normal.
Does the Wii sensor bar need to be plugged in?
The Wii/Wii U sensor bar simply emits a set of infrared lights that the Wii Remote can detect. The cable that connects the sensor bar to your console is solely used to supply power; without power, however, the sensor bar will not function.
How do you hook up a Wii without the yellow cord?
There are two ways to connect the Wii console to these TVs:
- Purchase an adapter which allows standard AV cables to be connected to the mini-plug (headphone jack) port on the back of the TV.
- As an alternative, it is possible to purchase component cables for the Wii console.
What Else Do You Need?
You basically need adapters depending on the ports or connection standards of your projector in question. You should get HDMI adapters for HD projectors, AV adapters for TV projectors, and VGA adapters for PC or presentation projectors.
After nearly two decades, many people still play games on the Wii or fondly remember playing the gimmicky but casual-friendly device. Shovelware aside, the best-selling console really did leave a mark in the videogame industry.
References:
- Nitish Lakra, “How to connect Wii to projector [In two easy steps]“, OnsMe.com, April 11, 2022
