Best Wii To HDMI Converters In 2023
A closer look at some of the market's best Wii to HDMI converters - alongside some alternatives too.
The Wii is one of the few products that doesn’t make use of an HDMI port. This makes connecting it to your TV in the generic fashion a little challenging. Luckily, the market is flooded with Wii to HDMI converters that allow you to get up and running with relative ease.
Whilst that is the case, there are a number of cheaper, low-performance Wii to HDMI converters that degrade image quality quite considerably – and it’s those converters that Wii want to stay away from. Apologies.
In the following article, we’ll be recommending only the best Wii to HDMI converters the market has to offer. We’ll also be looking at alternative ways of linking your Wii up to your TV that could offer slightly better performance.
So, with all that in mind, let’s waste no further time and dive straight into it!
Our Top Picks
Should I Worry About Upscaling?
Upscaling is nothing new, it’s been used within GPU technology for some time now and offers a good way of extrapolating more performance from your GPU when rendering higher screen resolutions. However, when it comes to playing Wii on the television, there are some things that you might want to consider.
As a games console, the Wii produces a 480p image resolution – great. However, what is not great, is when you try to upscale that 480p image onto a 1080p (or higher) TV. Let’s be honest, most people are running a 4K TV these days, meaning the final image will likely be adapted two times. When an image goes through this kind of upscaling, you naturally get a degradation in image fidelity.
Whilst some individuals may find this acceptable performance for the Wii, others won’t be as accepting.
Will I Have To Alter My Wii Settings To Use A Converter?
Many people don’t actually realize this, but the answer is yes. When you first insert the Wii to HDMI converter, your Wii will likely be set to the 480i display mode. Whilst this is fine for some older TVs, a lot of modern TVs won’t support this display format – meaning your TV may not even recognize the signal.
Fear not, the fix is relatively simple – requiring a change from 480i to 480p. Once in this display mode, the Wii to HDMI converter will be able to upscale the image to 720/1080p and your TV will recognize it instantly.
You can alter this by going into Wii settings and changing the screen resolution from 480i to 480p.
Why Use A Wii To HDMI Converter?
The main reason why people use a Wii to HDMI converter is for compatibility. When it comes to linking a device to your TV, the easiest method is via HDMI – allowing the transfer of both video and audio via a single cable. However, the Wii does not offer this particular support – meaning, if you want to use an HDMI cable with your Wii you’ll have to invest in a Wii to HDMI converter.
It isn’t just TVs that this device works with, you can also hook your Wii up to a gaming monitor using the exact same device. This comes with its own set of benefits as a monitor is much more responsive than a TV. When comparing a TV to a monitor, you’ll likely find that a monitor doesn’t fall victim to the same screen artifacts as a TV. For example, ghosting, screen tear, and fuzziness can often occur when playing games on a TV. However, thanks to the monitor’s quick refresh rates, low response time, and general input lag, they provide a much more lucid experience than TVs.
The Best Wii to HDMI Converter
In-depth Review
Our top pick goes to the Portholic Wii to HDMI converter – a simple and effective device that offers plenty of features for ease of use. Often when buying an adapter like this, you’re paying for the brand over features benefits. However, that’s not the case here. The Portholic just works, allowing simple connectivity that will get you up and running in no time at all.
Ease of use is this adapter’s main characteristic, requiring you to simply insert it in the back of your Wii and connect it to your HDMI device. It uses modern decoder technology that supports a number of different native display modes – including PAL 576i, 480p, and NTSC 480i. Furthermore, with updated this updated decoder technology, Portholic ensures advanced signal processing which is latency-free, color accurate, and precise when upscaling.
Thanks to the design makeup of this converter, the Portholic provides fantastic picture quality that is void of blurring, fuzzy lines, and lag.
In terms of simplicity, you can’t really go wrong with the Wiistar Wii to HDMI Converter. Simply plug it directly into your Wii’s video port, connect your HDMI cable and away you go. This particular model supports all native Wii display modes, including PAL 576i, 480p, and 480i. The Wiistar Wii to HDMI converter also offers a 3.5mm audio jack and a robust design that should stand the test of time.
Wiistar often references the quality of its adaptive de-interlacing for analog signals, meaning it makes use of current technologies to ensure accurate upscaling for modern HD TVs. Remember the Wii only outputs a 480p image, so, you want a converter that offers good upscaling so no fuzzy lines or blurring occurs – exactly what the Wiistar brings to the table.
Unfortunately, this device doesn’t offer great performance when it comes to converting the Wii’s 480p signal to anything higher than 1080p. For example, if you were to use this on a modern 4K TV, chances are the final image would be littered with screen artifacts that would make the entire experience underwhelming.
Last but not least, is the Gana Wii to HDMI converter – another simple, affordable, and effective converter that simply gets the job done. Like the other two picks in this guide, the Gana converter also supports all native Wii display modes, such as NTSC 480i, 480p, and PAL 576oi. This converter also provides very little (if any) transmission loss, supporting DVI monitors with a no-hassle ‘Plug’n’Play design.
The Gana converter brings a brand new decoder chip to the table that allows for advanced signal processing with decent precision, colors, and resolution upscaling. The Gana allows for 720p or 1080p upscaling, providing a fantastic final image that is void of blurred lines, fuzziness, and latency issues.
Like the other devices, the Gana converter will also struggle to provide decent image quality when upscaling higher than 1080p. Modern 4K TVs will result in poor image quality that really doesn’t offer that much enjoyment.
Final Word
So, there you have it, our quick rundown to the best Wii to HDMI converters currently available in 2021. Whilst there are a tonne of adapters available, not all offer a good visual experience when converting Wii to HDMI. Luckily, we’ve done the hard research for you, selecting three fantastic Wii to HDMI converters that really do offer great upscaling and visual fidelity.
If you have any questions regarding Wii to HDMI converters, feel free to drop us a comment in the section below. Luckily, each converter we’ve chosen offers excellent performance and incredibly easy-to-use functionality – so, chances are you won’t have any questions!
WePC is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
