Downsizing popular consoles has long been a popular pastime for modders. Some people spent years vying to make the smallest Nintendo Wii that worked. The latest model is only a few square inches, and in addition to continuing to support physical discs, it retains the functionality of the original machine.
Tuner James "loopj" Smith recently introduced a full-featured Wii that fits easily into a shirt pocket. There's a complete assembly guide on GitHub, but it requires advanced motherboard trimming, soldering, and PCB assembly skills, so only experienced users should try:
hatps://github.com/loopj/short-stack
Dubbed the "Short Stack," this record-breaking miniature Wii is about 7.5% the size of Nintendo's original console. It's so tiny that 13 Short Stacks fit into a Wii, and there's still room left.
Smith downsized the system motherboard, replacing the original power delivery system, USB module, Bluetooth hardware, and GameCube controller port with a smaller replacement. The remaining original motherboard contains the CPU, GPU, memory, and flash memory, and measures just 62 x 62 mm.
Other features, including video feeds and status indicators, use custom printed circuit boards to save space. Smith also replaced the SD card slot with a microSD connector. A notable addition is that it supports HDMI, which the original Wii didn't. The strangest change was the change from the GameCube controller connector to a smaller TRRS headphone jack, and the entire device was cooled by a small 5V fan and a custom aluminum or copper heatsink.
The custom 3D-printed case is fastened together with M2.5 and M1.2 screws, accurately reproducing the original look of the Wii and all the front panel buttons. Smith also kept the LED optical drive, although the system was much smaller than the smallest disc.
It is slightly smaller compared to the previous Wii Nano or portable Kill Mii. However, loopj admits that a 52 x 52mm motherboard can be made smaller, perhaps 25 or 30 percent smaller, so the Short Stack record may not last long.