How To Connect A Wii To A Smart TV: Easy Guide

I had an old Nintendo Wii lying around, and since I had some time on my hands-on account of it being a weekend, I decided to fire the console up and try some of my Wii games on it.

I had upgraded to a smart TV after I stopped using the Wii, so I had to get it connected to the TV first before I could do anything.

But the Wii didn’t have an HDMI output and only had a proprietary AV out port that used a cable that ended with RCA color-coded red, yellow, and white cables.

I went on the internet to know how I could connect the console to my smart TV using methods other than what was possible out of the box.

After a few hours of research, I gathered quite a bit of information regarding this, and I was able to create this article based on that research.

When you reach the end of this article, you’ll know exactly what you need to do to connect your Wii to your smart TV, regardless of what connectors your smart TV uses.

To connect your Wii to your smart TV, connect the AV multi cable that came with the Wii to the console, and the other end to the TV. If the TV doesn’t support Composite video, get an adapter for one of the inputs that your TV does support.

Continue reading to find out what adapter you’ll need for all of the inputs that you’d find on the TV.

Check What Inputs Your TV Supports

A Nintendo Wii only has an AV Multi Out port to connect it to your TV, but the default connector that comes with your Wii console out of the box is only compatible with TVs with Composite video input.

Depending on the model of your Wii, you might have an HDMI out port as well.

Check your TV’s rear and sides for the RCA color-coded cables that Composite video uses.

If you have those ports, you can use the connector that came with the Wii to connect it to your smart TV.

If it doesn’t, you might need to use an adapter that changes the input to something your TV supports to connect the console to your TV.

Additionally, if like me, you notice your Wii’s display is black and white, I’ve outlined a few ways you can fix it.

Using The Wii Default Connectors

The default connectors that come with the Wii in its box use a proprietary connector that only works on Wiis on one end, with the other end being the three colored RCA cables.

If your TV supports composite audio with these three ports on the back, connecting your Wii to the TV is simple.

Plug in the AV Multi out cable into the Wii and the color-coded cables to their respective ports on the smart TV.

Remember that Composite video only supports video resolutions of 480p, so your Wii input won’t be HD 720p or 1080p.

Once you’ve plugged in the cables on both ends, turn the console on and switch the TV input to TV or AV.

If the console has turned on, the picture should now appear on the TV, and you’re ready to play games on the system.

Using HDMI

To connect your Wii to a smart TV with an HDMI port, you’ll need to get a Wii A/V to HDMI converter before connecting the system and the TV.

I would recommend the [amazon link= “B072K2DCFM” title= “Hyperkin HD Cable For Wii”/] because it is a quality product that’s made well and does what it’s supposed to do.

Using this connector would mean you won’t need to use an HDMI cable or the AV Multi out cable to connect the TV to the Wii.

With almost 7 ft of cable length, it is a good replacement for the HDMI and AV cable.

Connect the AV Multi end of the cable to the port on the Wii and the other HDMI end of the cable to the HDMI port on the TV.

Turn the console and the TV on, and switch the TV input to the HDMI port to which you’ve connected the adapter.

If all the connections are correct, you’ll be able to see the console’s home screen.

Since some Wii consoles don’t support HD 720p or above, you’ll only be able to get a 480p or 578i signal, which is standard definition.

The console won’t be able to use the HDMI CEC feature if your TV supports it.

Using Component Cables

Component cables use more than one channel for higher quality audio, unlike Composite video, which uses a single channel for SD video.

These connectors are capable of 720p and 1080p, but the output device also needs to support these resolutions.

If your TV has support for Component video, I would recommend you get the [amazon link=” B000JJRV90″ title=” Component video adapter from Nintendo”/].

This is an official accessory that Nintendo has made so that the Wii is supported on more TVs.

Connect the adapter’s AV multi-connector to the Wii console and the other RCA color-coded cables to the TV according to the color code.

After connecting the cables to their devices, turn the console and TV on and switch the TV input to Component In.

Using VGA

Some smart TVs also have VGA inputs which are mostly seen on monitors and support a maximum resolution of 480p.

To use a VGA port, you’ll need an adapter that converts the RCA composite output of the default cable to the VGA output that the TV supports.

I would recommend the [amazon link=” B07JPJ9FMY” title=” OUOU RCA to VGA adapter”/] because it requires no setup and connects directly to the TV, eliminating the need for a VGA cable.

Connect the AV multi cable to the Wii and the RCA end of the cable to the RCA inputs of the adapter.

Use the other end of the adapter to connect to the TV and turn the TV and console on.

Switch the input to PC or VGA to start using the console over the VGA input.

VGA doesn’t support full HD either, but it won’t be an issue because the Wii doesn’t support 720p or higher resolutions.

Final Thoughts

Wii allows you to change the video output resolution between 480p and 576i, which you can switch around to get the best experience from the input you use.

Tweak the other display settings if you run into issues with the colors on the screen or the borders spilling over to the sides.

Using an adapter won’t cause a hit on the console’s performance, and if there is any input lag, it might probably be your TV or your Wii rather than the adapter itself.

Older Wiis don’t have support for HDMI, which is for good reason because the hardware in the system can’t play games at a high resolution while having a playable framerate.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I hook up my old Wii to my TV?

First, check what inputs your TV supports; if it supports composite video, you can use the cable that came with the Wii.

If it doesn’t support the composite input, you might need to use an adapter for the inputs your TV has.

Why does my Wii not show up on my TV?

If your Wii doesn’t show up on your TV, try using another input on the TV.

Restart the TV and console a few times to fix the issue.

Can a Wii U use an HDMI cable?

The Wii U can use an HDMI cable since it can output 720p resolutions that require HDMI to be used on a TV.

What are the USB ports on the back of the Wii used for?

You can use the USB ports on the back of the Wii to connect a USB keyboard, expandable storage, or even charge your devices.

Charging might be slow, but it is good to have if you want to charge something that’s low on battery.