Tutorial  Updated

Hacking the Wii U without a GamePad

**WARNING: If you’re purchasing a Wii U console without a GamePad, and intend to configure the console with DRC Sim, then first, thoroughly read the section titled Factory Reset Console.


Nintendo designed their Wii U console, whereby you need the GamePad to configure required settings such as TV output and WiFi. Now, with DRC Sim, a PC, and a compliant WiFi adapter, you have the option to configure the settings of a Wii U console without a GamePad. Though, this might not be a good solution if you don’t already own a PC or laptop.

Is a Wii U worth it without the GamePad?

Well, that depends how much you like the Wii U library of games. You can play the Zelda Games without the GamePad, however, many other games require the GamePad to work, such as Mario Maker, Xenoblade, Splatoon, Paper Mario, and many more. DRC Sim can get GamePad titles working, and give you a limited ability to interface with them, though, you might find it a bit counterproductive using your PC as the GamePad interface. There is a DRC Sim tablet app for Android, which also works very well, but again, it's limited compared to an actual GamePad, and you still need DRC Sim server running on a PC to use the tablet app.

If you want the Wii U just for the Zelda series, and retro gaming (Wii, Gamecube, etc), then you’ll probably enjoy the Wii U without a Gamepad. Though, if you want to play most of the Wii U library, then settle on getting a GamePad.

One thing I’d suggest, is to get and hack the console to see how you like it. Use DRC Sim to try the GamePad required titles, and if you feel you’ll enjoy the GamePad titles, then get the GamePad later when you find a deal. However, keep in mind, you might find a good deal that includes the console and Gamepad together, opposed to having to buy them separately. The console could be bought for around $80, but the GamePad typically goes for $120 used, if you’re lucky.

Factory Reset Console.

DRC Sim has not been 100% confirmed regarding its capabilities to complete the initial setup of a Wii U console that has been factory reset.

I personally, have factory reset my Wii U, and successfully completed the entire initialization process. I can confirm that DRC Sim was successful completing the initial set up of a Wii U console after a factory reset, using the following configuration:
  • Wii U 32GB North American Model Console
  • Wii U Console Firmware 5.5.1
  • DRC Sim 1.4
  • Ubuntu 16.04 LTS OS Virtual Machine
  • Panda N600 Dual Band USB Wireless WiFi Adapter
If a console was factory reset, you can connect the Wii U to a TV and get the pairing code required to pair DRC Sim with a console.

Please note, the Wii U will only output a TV signal on the video port it was configured for prior to a factory reset. For example, if the Wii U was factory reset while configured to output via a non-HDMI connection, then you will need the component or A/V cable to connect to your TV.

It’s crucially important for the Wii U to be connected to a TV in order to retrieve the code required to pair with DRC Sim.

Should you succeed completing the initialization of a Wii U after a factory reset, please post in this thread listing your specific gaming configuration, such as Wii U model country/firmware/size, plus WiFi adapter model/chipset, as well as any other specific details that may be useful to help community members complete their own setup.

NEVER FACTORY RESET A CONSOLE THAT HAS ANY TYPE OF HACKS INSTALLED, UNTIL YOU THOROUGHLY READ THE WARNINGS, AND PROPERLY UNINSTALL ANY INSTALLED HACK. FAILURE TO PROPERLY REMOVE A HACK PRIOR TO A FACTORY RESET CAN RESULT IN BRICKING YOUR CONSOLE!!

Purchasing a Wii U console and its peripherals.

If you don’t already own a Wii U, you’ll need to spend approximately $160 for the console, SD Card, Wii U Pro controller, Wii Motion Controller, sensor bar, and WiFi adapter. That does not include the cost of an HDD and USB HDD enclosure, which are optional costs. DO NOT purchase 3rd party controllers, as they often do not work well with some or most hacks.


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  • Wii U console. Make sure the seller includes the power adapter. The power adapter can run you an extra $15. Don’t buy cheap 3rd party power adapters, they’re horrible, and dangerously constructed.
  • Wii U Pro controller. This is needed to simply navigate the Wii U and play games that don’t require the GamePad.
  • A PC or laptop running the latest Ubuntu LTS operating System. I personally used my PC and created an Ubuntu virtual machine to install DRC Sim, which worked flawlessly.
  • SD Card or a MicroSD Card with an SD Card adapter, your choice of size, preferably between 16GB - 128GB. I’d go with the largest size you can afford. Buy a quality card from a reputable seller. You’ll need the SD card to apply and install hacks. Also, you can play games that are stored on an SD card, or use the SD card to transfer games to the console or attached hard drive storage.
  • Wii U Sensor bar and Wii Motion Controller (optional). You’ll need these if you want to configure Virtual Wii (Wii U predecessor), which will allow you to play original Wii games and GameCube games with Nintendont.
  • Hard Drive with USB enclosure (optional). If you’re planning on building a library of games, you’ll want to add a Hard Drive to store your games for convenience. However, it’s not necessary, since you can play games off of an SD Card. You’ll need a USB Hard Drive enclosure so you can connect the Hard Drive to your Wii U. If the Hard Drive enclosure is not powered by a power adapter, you’ll need a USB-Y cable so the USB enclosure can draw power from the Wii-U to operate the Hard Drive. Make sure you thoroughly research the type of USB enclosure to purchase to ensure it works well with the Wii U.
DRC Sim installation and configuration.

Once you get everything together, your next step is to THOROUGHLY WATCH THE ENTIRE YouTube video linked below, which explains exactly how to set up DRC Sim. Once you get DRC Sim working, you can connect and configure the console settings such as WiFi and TV output. Also, read the description of the YouTube video, as it contains useful links.



Hacking your Wii U.

WiiU Hacking Guide (guide I personally used)

Additional hacking guides...

WiiUBrU Guide!
Felek's redNAND-free Wii U Hacking
Kafluke's Noob Guide to Wii U Hacking

Installing games.

Now that you have your console hacked, it’s time to install and get to know a program named WiiU USB Helper. It’s basically a one-stop solution to get you up and gaming.

WiiU USB Helper Program

Additional helpful links.

Nintendont, a hack to play GameCube games
Nintendont Controller config files
Wii U Utilities
DRC Sim Android client for tablet
DRC Sim Github
DRC Sim Client
Reddit WiiUHacks
DRC Sim compliant WiFi adapter
Ubuntu Desktop OS Download



All the resources I listed are exactly what got me up and running.

CREDITS AND THANKS GO TO ALL THOSE THAT DEVELOPED THE SOFTWARE TO MAKE HACKING POSSIBLE, AND THOSE THAT POSTED TUTORIALS TO MAKE IT EASILY UNDERSTOOD.
 
Last edited by Hillbilleh,

Spore2

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I bought a gamepadless Wii U for $ 40. I've been prepping to get drc-sim to hack my Wii U but can't find the time to gather the resources. Thanks for this as this will speed up my preparation.
 

RandomUser

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I have bought an extra gamepad for $64 including shipping. It was classified as "not working" due to the seller not being able to test it. I went ahead and bought it, and tested it myself and it works really well. It has some scratches, but at that price, I think it was a good deal, especially when it works from the get go.
 

gbadl

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Has anyone used this for initial Wii U setup?

The video description says: "**WARNING: AS OF THIS VIDEO DRC-SIM DOES NOT WORK FOR THE INITIAL WII U SETUP (Like when you factory reset the Wii U).**"
 

Hillbilleh

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Has anyone used this for initial Wii U setup?

The video description says: "**WARNING: AS OF THIS VIDEO DRC-SIM DOES NOT WORK FOR THE INITIAL WII U SETUP (Like when you factory reset the Wii U).**"
That's a good point. I purchased my Wii U, used, and the seller never factory reset the unit.

If I had a GamePad, I'd test it out, to see if I can pair with my console after a reset. However, I don't have a GamePad, and risk losing my ability to reconnect.

In the mean time, I'll post a big warning at the top of the guide, until such time someone can confirm they successfully paired with a Wii U using DRC Sim after a factory reset.
 

yakuma

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hi can anyone make image after instal the drc.
becau i already try and get error phton instal fail.
i already intal curl and still get error.

thanks
 

petethepug

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I haven't watched the video to the guide yet, but I would just like to know this first before continuing on with the guide (Because I'm thinking about buying a Wii U to hold me over for more Switch Games coming out, and because new mods are being developed for the console.)

How compatible is this software with Homebrew >_>.
 

Hillbilleh

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It should be fully compatible. As far as the Wii U is concerned, it is a normal gamepad.

Edit: The wiki is now updated to mention the process of completing the Wii U's initial setup.


I haven't found a definitive answer as to whether the Wii U can be setup with DRC SIm after it's been factory reset.
Can you answer a couple of questions...
  • Can DRC Sim be used to to setup a Wii U after a factory reset?
  • If no, will it be possible in future development of DRC Sim, or does it appear a GamePad will always be necessary to complete the initial setup after a factory reset?
 

petethepug

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Alright kool,
Just a quick question. I have a Windows PC however I don't know if its exactly compatible with any of this software.

When I tried to install Ubunto on my PC it was in .ios format so I assume not, and I can't do anything to my PC (Its the only PC I have for running Windows applications for school.)

Is there like, a cheap Linux laptop available so I can still be under-budget buying a Wii U (Like less than 100 dollars preferably :P.)
 

Hillbilleh

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Alright kool,
Just a quick question. I have a Windows PC however I don't know if its exactly compatible with any of this software.

When I tried to install Ubunto on my PC it was in .ios format so I assume not, and I can't do anything to my PC (Its the only PC I have for running Windows applications for school.)

Is there like, a cheap Linux laptop available so I can still be under-budget buying a Wii U (Like less than 100 dollars preferably :P.)

You can't install Ubuntu like a Windows application. Ubuntu is an independent variant of the Linux operating system.

However, you can run Ubuntu on your Windows PC by installing a hypervisor program such as VMWare Workstation (30 day trial) or VirtualBox (free), which gives you the ability to run the Ubuntu operating system in a virtual environment on a Windows host. This will allow you to install DRC Sim on your Ubuntu virtual machine.

If you're unfamiliar with creating a virtual machine, then just research some videos on YouTube. It's not terribly hard, though, you're in for a bit of a learning curve if you're are new to virtual machines and using a Linux operating system. I don't recommend purchasing a laptop just to install Ubuntu, since you can easily create a virtual machine for free. However, you still need to purchase a WiFi adapter that meets these specs (click link), or purchase the one I mention in the guide.
 
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petethepug

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Alright, thanks for filling me in with the information. I will research virtual box a bit and try setting it up, then I will follow the guide from here.
 

petethepug

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I also forgot to ask, does the PC need any sys requirements for running the gamepad or is it all just wireless communication with the Wii U.

Idk how the Wii U Gamepad really works with the actual Wii U so just curious.
 

ThunderbInazuma

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My PC has a Integrated WiFi Card. However, I can't find out if it has a compatible one to do this. I've found out that it support thsi "802.11n" but I can't find out about the GHz value neither the Chipset. Can someone help me to check this? My PC is a Asus X555L (Inter Core i7 Version with 8Gb Ram and 1 TB HDD).
Thank You in Advance.
 

rolandoislas

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Can DRC Sim be used to to setup a Wii U after a factory reset?

I have not tried it personally, but there has been a reported case of it working here.

I also forgot to ask, does the PC need any sys requirements for running the gamepad or is it all just wireless communication with the Wii U.

Aside from a Linux-based OS and a compatible wireless interface, the computer will need a decently fast CPU (2.4+ GHz).

My PC has a Integrated WiFi Card. However, I can't find out if it has a compatible one to do this. I've found out that it support thsi "802.11n" but I can't find out about the GHz value neither the Chipset. Can someone help me to check this? My PC is a Asus X555L (Inter Core i7 Version with 8Gb Ram and 1 TB HDD).
Thank You in Advance.

It might work in native Linux-based OS given the correct drivers. Running it as a bridged device in a virtual machine is untested.

Edit: A bridged wireless interface will not work with a VM. An attached USB adapter will work.
 
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ThunderbInazuma

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I have not tried it personally, but there has been a reported case of it working here.



Aside from a Linux-based OS and a compatible wireless interface, the computer will need a decently fast CPU (2.4+ GHz).



It might work in native Linux-based OS given the correct drivers. Running it as a bridged device in a virtual machine is untested.
Ok, Thank You. I will test to install Ubuntu as Dual Boot. Thanks :-D
 

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I can't seem to find a concise answer to the following and figured it might be a good place to post it here; my apologies if it is not. Everything I read is has either changed or can now be done differently and can't figure out what's correct, if there is a tutorial if you will can you point me in the right direction? Question: For a 4tb USB HD, on the Wii U can you load both your Wii u and Wii game backups on the same drive? How should you format the drive (partitions all in one the same partition) and is there a good thread to look thru or even better a good tutorial to read thru? Any help is greatly appreciate it, thank you!

Still a noob and trying to read thru what I find to understand it, just so much information to sif thru, only to find out it's outdated or a completely new way to do it
 

ThunderbInazuma

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I can't seem to find a concise answer to the following and figured it might be a good place to post it here; my apologies if it is not. Everything I read is has either changed or can now be done differently and can't figure out what's correct, if there is a tutorial if you will can you point me in the right direction? Question: For a 4tb USB HD, on the Wii U can you load both your Wii u and Wii game backups on the same drive? How should you format the drive (partitions all in one the same partition) and is there a good thread to look thru or even better a good tutorial to read thru? Any help is greatly appreciate it, thank you!

Still a noob and trying to read thru what I find to understand it, just so much information to sif thru, only to find out it's outdated or a completely new way to do it
Nop. You can't do that. To use it with WiiU Games, you need it to be only for that reason.
 

M1GRATON

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So my next question is; the Wii U has the capability to play your old Wii games, so currently the only way to do that is thru vWii on a completely separate drive from your Wii U games? And if so, can you have some Wii U games on your SD card and the Wii games on the drive and switch accordingly?
 

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