It has been replaced by the Nintendo Switch, but that doesn’t mean you have to get rid of the Nintendo Wii U. Like its predecessor, the Wii, the Wii U has been hacked, allowing home users to install software and more.
Want to get more out of your Nintendo Wii U? Here’s how to do it with homebrew software.
What is homegrown?
If you want to hack a game console and install software on it that isn’t supposed to run (like a new operating system), you need homebrew. It is basically software designed to make a proprietary hardware platform like the Wii U user-programmable. Since the Wii U is no longer Nintendo’s key game console, there will be less and less software released for it.
If you want your Wii U to be useful, you need to hack it with homemade beer.
There is nothing new in this approach. The predecessor of the Wii U, the Nintendo Wii, could be hacked. the same way.
While there are two ways to hack the Wii U, the easiest, temporary way is also the most unreliable. So we’re going to install a browser exploit in favor of a longer, permanent hack.
NOTE. Jailbreaking your Wii U to install homebrew software is potentially dangerous to your system and can result in data loss or even crash. Continue only if you are aware of the risks.
Also note that this is a relatively simple hack. Other hacks take quite a bit of time, but can be done in 30 minutes.
What do you need for this hack
To install the Homebrew Channel on Wii U, make sure your system is version 5.5.2, 5.5.3, and 5.5.4. Check this in System Preferences found in the Wii U Menu (not Quick Launch). The version number is in the upper right corner of the screen.
Next, make sure you have:
- Network connection with internet access
- SD card (or microSD with SD adapter) at least 16 GB or more, formatted in FAT32
You also need to download the following files to your computer:
- JSTypeHax-Payload.zip from WiiDatabase.de
- v1.4.zip from GitHub
- Haxchi ZIP from GitHub
Save them to a directory on your computer, ready to use shortly.
How to use Wii U with Haxchi
To install custom firmware, you will need to find the exploit and then run it.
The Haxchi exploit can be used in the following DS Virtual Console games:
Animal Crossing: Wild World | Kirby: Mass Attack | New Super Mario Bros. | Super Mario 64 DC |
Big Brain Academy | Kirby Squeak Squad / Kirby Mouse Attack | Pokémon Mystery: Sky Explorers | Wario: Master of Disguise |
brain age | The Legend of Zelda: Ghostly Hourglass | pokemon ranger | WarioWare: touched |
DC: Jungle Climber | The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Footprints | Pokémon Ranger: Marks of the Guardian | Yoshi Island DS |
Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training | Mario and Luigi: partners in time | Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia | Yoshi Touch & Go |
Kirby: Canvas Curse | Mario Kart DS | Starfox Command |
If you don’t have any of these, you will need to buy one.
However, please note that as of September 2019, you cannot simply make purchases through your old-style Nintendo Account with a credit card. Instead, you need to make sure that a Nintendo Network account has been created and linked to the old account. You can then add funds to your account using a credit card or PayPal.