It'due south been superseded by the Nintendo Switch, only that doesn't mean you have to get rid of your Nintendo Wii U. Like its predecessor, the Wii, the Wii U has been hacked, enabling the installation of homebrew software and more.

Want to get more out of your Nintendo Wii U? Here's how to set it up with homebrew software.

What Is Homebrew?

If you want to hack a games console, and install software that isn't supposed to exist run on it (such as a new operating system), you need homebrew. Information technology'south basically software that is designed to brand a proprietary hardware platform---such as the Wii U---programmable by users. As the Wii U is no longer Nintendo's key games console, less and less software is set to be released for it.

If y'all desire to keep your Wii U useful, you need to hack it with homebrew.

Hack your Wii U with the Homebrew Channel

This approach is zero new. The Wii U's predecessor, the Nintendo Wii, could be hacked in a similar mode.

While in that location are 2 ways to hack a Wii U, the easiest, temporary method is also the most unreliable. Equally such, we're going to install the browser exploit in favour of the longer, permanent hack.

Notation: Hacking your Wii U to install homebrew software is potentially unsafe to your system, and could pb to data loss, or even bricking. Only keep if y'all are enlightened of the risks.

Also annotation that this is a comparatively elementary hack. Other hacks need quite a bit of time, but this tin be completed in around 30 minutes max.

What You Will Need for this Hack

To install the Homebrew Channel on your Wii U, ensure your system is on version 5.5.2, v.5.three, and 5.5.4. Check this in System Settings, constitute on the Wii U Menu (not Quick Start). The version number is in the top-correct corner of the screen.

Side by side, make sure y'all have:

  • A network connectedness with cyberspace access
  • An SD card (or microSD with an SD adaptor) of at to the lowest degree 16GB or more, formatted in FAT32

Y'all'll also need to download the following files to your estimator:

  • JSTypeHax-Payload.zip from WiiDatabase.de
  • v1.4.zip from GitHub
  • The Haxchi Nada from GitHub

Relieve these to a directory on your calculator, fix for utilise shortly.

How to Exploit the Wii U with Haxchi

To install the custom firmware, you will need to detect an exploit, and so run it.

The Haxchi exploit can be used on the following DS Virtual Panel games:

  • Animal Crossing: Wild World
  • Big Encephalon Academy
  • Brain Age
  • DK: Jungle Climber
  • Dr. Kawashima's Brain Grooming
  • Kirby: Sail Curse
  • Kirby: Mass Assault
  • Kirby: Squeak Team / Kirby: Mouse Attack
  • Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
  • Fable of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
  • Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
  • Mario Kart DS
  • New Super Mario Bros.
  • Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Heaven
  • Pokemon Ranger
  • Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs
  • Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
  • Starfox Command
  • Super Mario 64 DS
  • Wario: Chief of Disguise
  • WarioWare: Touched
  • Yoshi's Isle DS
  • Yoshi'southward Touch & Go

If you don't own any of these, yous'll need to buy i.

Buy virtual console games to enable the Homebrew Channel Haxchi exploit on the Wii U

Yet, note that as of September 2022 y'all cannot just purchase via your old-style Nintendo account with a credit card. Instead, you'll demand to ensure a Nintendo Network business relationship has been created and linked to the old account. Once this is done, you can add funds to your account from a credit card or PayPal.

Head to this Nintendo help page for total details.

Frankly, it's a massive pain, so if you don't already ain whatsoever exploit games, you may prefer to avoid. The browser exploit yet works, after all.

Subsequently calculation the funds, purchase i of the apps. If you're concerned about saving money, the cheapest available app is Big Brain Academy.

In some cases, exploitable games you lot already own won't accept the hack. In this instance, merely delete so re-download information technology and endeavour again.

Format the SD Card

Setting the right format for the SD carte du jour is vital for this hack to work.

If you're using a Windows PC, the native formatting tool volition not work. This is because it cannot be set up to accurately format in FAT32 with an Allocation Unit of measurement Size of 32K (specifically, 32768 bytes).

To work effectually this, you'll demand a third-political party formatting tool for SD cards. While many options are available, the best results have been reported using Guiformat. Two versions of this tool are available for Windows: a standard, 32-bit SD formatter, and a 64-bit version. If you're using 64-bit Windows, you'll need the latter version as the 32-bit Guiformat won't piece of work.

Download: Guiformat 32-bit | 64-bit

Once downloaded, run Guiformat. Ensure the correct Drive is selected, then set the Allotment unit size to 32768. Set a volume label (practice non use "wiiu", every bit this will cause conflicts and the hack will neglect) then click Start.

Ensure the SD card is formatted in FAT32 for the hack to work

Look for the SD carte to be formatted, then close Guiformat.

Copy the Wii U Hack Files to Your SD Card

With the SD bill of fare still in your computer, unzip the downloaded files as follows:

  • Unzip the Homebrew Launcher ZIP file to the SD card. You should terminate up with a file structure wiiu/apps/homebrew_launcher.
  • Next, unzip JSTypeHax-Payload.zip and send the payload.elf file to the wiiu directory on the card.
  • Finally, extract the contents of the Haxchi ZIP file to the SD carte du jour.

Now that those files are copied to the SD card, you lot're ready to run the hack. First, though, safely eject the SD card and insert it into the Wii U. Power the console upwards.

Run on Homebrew Launcher on the Wii U

To kickoff the exploit process, you need to run the Homebrew Launcher. Ensure the Wii U is connected to the net, and so open the browser and go to u.wiidb.de. Have a moment to save the URL in your Wii U browser bookmarks.

Next, tap HAXX and wait. If everything you've done and so far is successful, your Wii U will be exploited.

Click HAXX to access the Homebrew channel on the Wii U

The Homebrew Launcher will load. Click the HB App Store link to explore the world of Nintendo homebrew applications and games! Here, a world of retro gaming will open to you, but there is a downside---it's only available through the Wii U browser. To brand the hack permanent, yous can run the Haxchi installer, but notation that this is not without risk.

Accessing the Homebrew Aqueduct via the browser is the safer option. All yous have to debate with is the problem of the SD card not beingness correctly formatted. In this case, you lot'll see the following fault:

If the SD card is not formatted as FAT32 this error will appear

Just go back and reformat, then re-create the files back to the SD menu to become around this.

Hacking the Wii U Permanently

As hacks become for the Wii U, this is mayhap the simplest yet. Other complicated, more permanent hacks are bachelor online, simply these aren't necessary for recent versions of the Wii U'south firmware. Instead, opt for these if your Wii U isn't on 5.5.2 or after.

The hack explained here volition requite you instant access to the Homebrew Channel. Information technology'south simple, easy to exercise, and relatively quick.

However, it is a temporary web hack. It will do what yous desire (in almost cases) but for a permanent hack you'll need more fourth dimension. This excellent video will walk you through the full, permanent Wii U Homebrew hack.

Hack Your Nintendo Wii U Today

Yous've got everything yous need to run temporary and permanent hacks on your Nintendo Wii U. Time to make better use of the old console. With tools for running retro Nintendo games and even installing a Linux OS, at that place's plenty to keep you engaged. Breathing new life into an old console has never been so much fun.

If you're a fan of retro gaming systems, or but getting interested, sympathise that some old systems won't "merely work." Instead, you need to have some care with them outset. Here's how to safely boot your retro gaming consoles and avert component failure.