Used Wii U consoles reportedly allow for downloads of previous owner’s games

Scoring a Nintendo Wii U console for lower than retail price with a few extra games sounds like a Black Friday sale. That’s not the case, these reports are true. According to a NeoGAF thread spotted by Eurogamer, a person can buy a used Wii U and download the previous owner’s digital games.

This is an unforeseen issue that results from the games being tied to a specific console instead of the person and their Nintendo Network account. Sony and Microsoft tie digital game purchases to user accounts. This means that when a user wipes their system clean, they delete all data and games. That person can buy a new Xbox or PlayStation 3 and redownload their old purchases.

If NeoGAF posts are accurate, the opposite is true of Nintendo’s system. This means that currently, Wii U games purchased digitally cannot be transferred to a new console. This is fact GamesBeat confirmed through Nintendo’s support page:

I know games can be transferred from a Wii to a Wii U, but how about from a Wii U to a Wii U?

• Transferring data from one Wii U to another Wii U is not supported at this time. However, we are looking into this feature and will provide an update if there is anything to report.

That’s right, folks,you could be giving away a copy of New Super Mario Bros. U with that Wii U you traded in at GameStop.

We contacted Nintendo, and a representative told us that the company is looking into it and will get back to us when more information is available.

We have also reached out to GameStop for comment.