Short Stack, an ultra-compact mod of Nintendo’s Wii console, reduces the original system to roughly 7.4% of its volume while preserving core functionality such as GameCube controller compatibility and digital HDMI output.
The original Wii, launched by Nintendo in 2006 to strong commercial success, distinguished itself from contemporaries like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 with a compact, living-room-friendly design; Nintendo later released a budget Wii Mini in 2012.
The Short Stack project, created by modder James Smith, is the latest demonstration of the homebrew community’s ability to miniaturize classic hardware for modern AV setups.
Short Stack is built around an "Omega" trimmed original Wii motherboard and integrates custom PCBs for power management, USB storage, and connections, plus a custom-milled heatsink and 3D-printed case.
The build leverages open-source hardware and firmware tools: the fujiflex PCB provides a digital A/V path over HDMI and nandFlex relocates the Wii’s NAND to allow a tighter trim of the board.
Smith uses GCVideo to deliver lossless digital audio and video via HDMI, powers the unit over USB-C, and handles input through Bluetooth for Wii controllers and accessories.
Game data and save files are stored on a MicroSD card, and—despite the tiny footprint—the mod retains the Wii’s four GameCube controller ports and recreates the console’s glowing disc-drive motif (the disc mechanism is non-functional).
Measured at approximately a 1:2.38 scale relative to the original chassis, Short Stack’s internal volume works out to about 7.4% of the standard Wii console.
In practical terms, it is around the size of a pack of playing cards.
Smith has also signaled that further reductions are possible.
He explained that his current Omega trim preserves all four main mounting holes, which makes it marginally wider than some alternative trims, while another developer, Wesk, has achieved a final-trim Wii motherboard measuring 52x52mm—narrower than Smith’s configuration.
Smith estimates that a further volume reduction of roughly 25–30% could be achieved without sacrificing features, though he cautioned that such a build would be extremely tight and difficult to assemble.
All technical documentation, component lists, and assembly notes for Short Stack are published by Smith on GitHub for hobbyists and hardware modders who want to study or reproduce the project.
The Short Stack release is another example of how open-source hardware efforts—fujiflex, nandFlex, and GCVideo—continue to extend the life and capabilities of Nintendo’s legacy platforms.
The original Wii, launched by Nintendo in 2006 to strong commercial success, distinguished itself from contemporaries like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 with a compact, living-room-friendly design; Nintendo later released a budget Wii Mini in 2012.
The Short Stack project, created by modder James Smith, is the latest demonstration of the homebrew community’s ability to miniaturize classic hardware for modern AV setups.
Short Stack is built around an "Omega" trimmed original Wii motherboard and integrates custom PCBs for power management, USB storage, and connections, plus a custom-milled heatsink and 3D-printed case.
The build leverages open-source hardware and firmware tools: the fujiflex PCB provides a digital A/V path over HDMI and nandFlex relocates the Wii’s NAND to allow a tighter trim of the board.
Smith uses GCVideo to deliver lossless digital audio and video via HDMI, powers the unit over USB-C, and handles input through Bluetooth for Wii controllers and accessories.
Game data and save files are stored on a MicroSD card, and—despite the tiny footprint—the mod retains the Wii’s four GameCube controller ports and recreates the console’s glowing disc-drive motif (the disc mechanism is non-functional).
Measured at approximately a 1:2.38 scale relative to the original chassis, Short Stack’s internal volume works out to about 7.4% of the standard Wii console.
In practical terms, it is around the size of a pack of playing cards.
Smith has also signaled that further reductions are possible.
He explained that his current Omega trim preserves all four main mounting holes, which makes it marginally wider than some alternative trims, while another developer, Wesk, has achieved a final-trim Wii motherboard measuring 52x52mm—narrower than Smith’s configuration.
Smith estimates that a further volume reduction of roughly 25–30% could be achieved without sacrificing features, though he cautioned that such a build would be extremely tight and difficult to assemble.
All technical documentation, component lists, and assembly notes for Short Stack are published by Smith on GitHub for hobbyists and hardware modders who want to study or reproduce the project.
The Short Stack release is another example of how open-source hardware efforts—fujiflex, nandFlex, and GCVideo—continue to extend the life and capabilities of Nintendo’s legacy platforms.
