Officially, the console retails for $360, but most retailers appear to have upped the price by at least $200, the Daily Mail reports. The Wii is not available for any price at most brick-and-mortar stores, forcing consumers to shop online.

The console has gone for as much as $1,000 on the auction Web site eBay.

Several online retailers are offering the Wii only as a package bundled with games for more than $500.

Tom Dunmore of the magazine T3, which caters to fans of electronic gadgets, urges buyers to think first.

"Bundles can be very dodgy but a lot of consumers feel it is the only way they are going to be able to get hold of a Wii this Christmas and retailers are playing on that," he said. "People need to think very carefully about whether the Wii, great though it is, is worth these inflated prices."