When I first heard about VDIGI’s VD-W3 Wii upscaler, like many others, my first reaction was, “how does this differ from any other upscaller currently on the market?”. The unit arrived a few days ago and I tested the product with two games, Wii Sports and Mario Kart for Wii.
The device connects directly to your Wii and is powered by the USB port which helps out as it doesn’t require an external power source. The unit feels solid but the controls on the device are extremely small, don’t plan on changing any of the settings on the fly.
Before I go further, I must say that I do not have any video capturing products that worked with HDMI or DVI. Because of this I couldn’t provide any screen shots and taking pictures with my camera provide little benefit.
The device does work as advertised, sort of. The big draw is that the device works over HDMI and you will notice some benefits from this. The colors do appear to be more vibrant and in some cases provide noticeable enhancement. If you are looking for the absolute best picture possible from the Wii, this product may be for you.
But, the enhancements, while somewhat noticeable are far from “HD”. This product is an upscaller first and tailored to the Wii second. The switches on the device are far too small and you need really small fingers or a screwdriver to adjust any of the settings. Also, if your Wii is in a cabinet with little room to move around, adjusting the device without disconnecting it from the Wii is virtually impossible.
At the end of the day, the device does work to some extent. The VD-W3 retails for $59.00 and does what it claims, but don’t expect any mind blowing visuals after you connect the device. Its great if you’re obsessed with wanting the best details and most vibrant colors, but if you’re a ‘casual gamer’, you won’t notice much of a difference.
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