Wii U - Bad batch?

al25

Bought a Wii U for my little one for Christmas, unfortunately can't switch it on. When powered, red light keeps blinking.

Does anyone think that this may be a faulty batch? cos I don't want to exchange the thing to find out that the new one has same problems. I'm thinking of taking a refund and waiting until January to buy it from a different location.

Meanwhile, my little one is disappointed and a bit sad

dalesrider

al25 wrote: »

Does anyone think that this may be a faulty batch? cos I don't want to exchange the thing to find out that the new one has same problems. .

Why not just ask them to test the new one first.

Im sure if its a bad batch they will be aware of it.

shocky_2

Unfortunately this is a common problem. It is known as the "red light of doom", if you google that phrase you will find plenty of information about it. It is actually very common across the current generation of videogame consoles. The Playstation3 has the "red light of death" and the Xbox has the "yellow light of death".

I don't think there is any way to avoid the risk of it happening again. Unfortunately it is a risk with any new console: these problems tend to be around for 2-3 years after the release of new consoles until the designers change the internal circuitry. All you can really do is get a replacement and hope for the best, most consoles will be OK and if yours isn't you should be able to get it repaired or replaced.

Do make sure that the power cable is fully plugged in, as this can cause the problem. Also make sure the console is upright and can cool properly, if you put it inside a TV cabinet or on top of a set-top box this can block the air vents which causes internal overheating.

arcon5

Hard to say to be honest. Could be a bad batch, could just be the bad apple in the batch.