Netflix for Nintendo Wii to Shut Down in January 2019

Netflix for the Nintendo Wii will stop working from January 31, 2019. The streaming service emailed its reader this week stating that Nintendo will suspend all video streaming services on the Nintendo Wii including Netflix. With the Nintendo Wii Shop channel closing on January 30, 2019, this should come as no surprise. What this also means is, other streaming services like Hulu and Amazon Prime Video won't be accessible on the Nintendo Switch from January 31 either. Considering that the Nintendo Wii first went on sale in 2006, it's surprising that it's been supported for this long.

Though with Nintendo's current console, the Nintendo Switch being exceptionally popular, the likes of Netflix have been slow to respond. The hybrid console lacks a Netflix app and it just got YouTube last week. Although Hulu and Niconico have been available, it's far from getting the level of support the Nintendo Wii received.

Nintendo Switch owners can now download the YouTube app via the Nintendo eShop right now free of charge. If you're familiar with YouTube on Android TV, you'll be right at home with YouTube on the Nintendo Switch. Some notable additions include the use of the Joy-Cons or the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller to navigate its interface. Touchscreen support is limited to video playback and you can't swipe across it either.

And yes you can sign into to you Google account for complete access to subscriptions, history, playlists, and even purchased movies. It also supports the Movies Anywhere program so if you have purchases from Google Play Movies, VUDU, Amazon, and iTunes too. It is important to note that the Nintendo Switch YouTube app is 720p in handheld mode and 1080p in docked mode via a compatible screen.

If you're a fan of video games, check out Transition, Gadgets 360's gaming podcast. You can listen to it via Apple Podcasts or RSS, or just listen to this week's episode by hitting the play button below.