Again, the process isn’t too difficult, and the result is a console that can play GameCube games in HD. Wii U consoles already come backward compatible with original Wii software and accessories out of the box, but getting the console to run GameCube games will require some modding. That being said, the Wii U is easily near (or at) the top of the list when it comes to emulation on home consoles. The quality of emulation will vary from console to console and even game to game, so make sure to do some research if you’re considering purchasing a Wii U for playing ROMs. Additionally, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance games perform admirably on the hardware as well. And with that comes the ability to play most consoles prior to, and including, the Nintendo 64 with relative ease. Sure, the Wii U isn’t quite as easy to mod as the original Wii or even the Xbox, but it’s not terribly difficult and easily worth the 30 minutes or so it takes to complete. When it comes to emulation on home consoles, it doesn’t get much better than the Wii U. Playing Emulators/ROMsĪs a quick disclaimer, we don’t condone the use of pirated software, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention this feature as it is one of the leading reasons gamers decide to hack their consoles in the first place. This is merely an educational walkthrough of some of the different features that are available to those who decide to install custom firmware onto their Wii U. Doing so incorrectly could cause irreparable damage to the console. Note: This is by no means a guide to hacking a Wii U. (And if any of these additional features don’t quite make sense to you at the moment, don’t worry as we cover each one in more detail just below.) That said, this is not a comprehensive list, as there are several other great homebrew apps that continue to push the boundaries of what the console is capable of.

This is a brief overview of some of the most notable features that come with hacking a Wii U, rather than a guide for hacking it.

Playing region-locked games from other counties.

Running backups of Wii and Wii U games from an SD card or hard drive.

What can a hacked Wii U do? Well, hacked Wii U consoles allow for dozens of new and improved features, including but not limited to: In fact, one could argue that the Wii U is a better purchase today thanks to added homebrew features than it was at launch. The Wii U might not have been the massive success that Nintendo would have hoped for, but the console does still have some life in it years after its release thanks to hacking (also referred to as “jailbreaking” or “modding”).

Wii u gamepad mods