A Wii remote with slow or non responsive buttons can be frustrating, but luckily there is an easy fix. Follow this guide to return your Wii remote to full function.
Items Needed:
- Tri-wing (Y shaped) screwdriver
- Spudger tool
- Pink Pencil Eraser
- Alcohol wipe or rubbing alcohol and paper towel
Step One: Disassemble the Wii Remote
There are 4 tri-wing (Y shaped) screws that will need to be removed to disassemble the remote. Using your tri-wing screwdriver, remove all four of these screws:
You can then pry the remote apart by releasing the two internal clips near the D-Pad by inserting a spudger tool.
Step 2: Examine the gold contacts and black pads for dirt or corrosion
Here is an example of dirty gold contacts:
Here is an example of dirty black pads (they should normally be solid black with no pattern/texture)
Step 3: Clean the gold contacts and black pads
Using the pencil eraser, rub the gold contacts until they are shiny. This should remove any discoloration from the gold pads.
Lightly use the pencil eraser on the black pads to remove any buildup or discoloration. They should be solidly black now.
Step 4: Clean with alcohol
Using an alcohol wipe or a paper towel with rubbing alcohol on it, wipe down all of the gold contacts and black pads. Keep wiping until there is no longer black discoloration wiping off onto the wipe. Be sure to clean away any stray eraser particles. This is also a good time to clean the remote with rubbing alcohol. Pay particular attention to the edges as they cannot be cleaned easily once reassembled.
Step 5: Reassemble and test
Snap the front plate pack onto the back of the Wii remote and reinstall all 4 screws. Test the controller with your Wii. If you have Homebrew installed, you can use an app called Visual Controller Test. This is the app we use at Retro Paladin to test all of our Wii remotes before they are shipped to ensure tip top performance.