3 ms·

So I started cloning the Wii U gamepad [video]

93 points by ingve 10mo ago

csb6 10mo ago
Here is a link to the repository for the gamepad simulator: https://github.com/vanilla-wiiu/vanilla https://github.com/vanilla-wiiu/vanilla
hmm37 10mo ago
This is great. A few years ago, I decided to buy a WII U, since I have basically every Nintendo console system since the NES. But the gamepad screen was broken and I couldn't sync the gamepad to the screen until I fixed it. And I tried to see if there was any alternative, but there wasn't until now. Hopefully that means more WII Us can be saved... You can sometimes find used Wii Us for $30 without the gamepad, while the gamepad itself costs around $100..
- lathiat 10mo ago
  Yeah. As noted in the video the only way to get a new one was via a support process with Nintendo and they ran out of stock in 2024.
zoklet-enjoyer 10mo ago
Oh wow. I never played my Wii U without the gamepad, so I didn't know this. Makes sense that the gamepads are still as expensive as they are.
saagarjha 10mo ago
I wonder if you could run this on the Steam Deck or similar hardware.
- homarp 10mo ago
  per the github repo: What devices are supported? Steam Deck Linux (check Wi-Fi hardware compatibility) Nintendo Switch (requires Broadcom firmware patch or external Wi-Fi adapter) Android (currently frontend only) Windows (currently frontend only) Raspberry Pi (requires external Wi-Fi adapter) iOS - Coming soon
- chocochunks 10mo ago
  You can. It works really well, except for not supporting the Wii U power button and not yet allowing button reconfig. The latter is annoying because you are using Xbox bindings on Nintendo.
kh_hk 10mo ago
So I see the merit of a well produced video, don't get me wrong. But wasn't this a bit of a lot of bluff for not so much content?
- Someone1234 10mo ago
  My impression the video isn't designed for people "inside baseball," and tries to establish context for "What even is this thing that you're working on?" I guess the author could add a skip if viewers don't want 5-minutes~ of Wii U background/context. Here is a rough timestamped-link for skipping the context: https://youtu.be/jlbcKuDEBw8?si=X1S3g2npigtWf5bk&t=303 https://youtu.be/jlbcKuDEBw8?si=X1S3g2npigtWf5bk&t=303
deleted 10mo ago
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93 points by ingve 10mo ago

csb6 10mo ago

Here is a link to the repository for the gamepad simulator: https://github.com/vanilla-wiiu/vanilla https://github.com/vanilla-wiiu/vanilla

hmm37 10mo ago

This is great. A few years ago, I decided to buy a WII U, since I have basically every Nintendo console system since the NES. But the gamepad screen was broken and I couldn't sync the gamepad to the screen until I fixed it. And I tried to see if there was any alternative, but there wasn't until now. Hopefully that means more WII Us can be saved... You can sometimes find used Wii Us for $30 without the gamepad, while the gamepad itself costs around $100..

lathiat 10mo ago
Yeah. As noted in the video the only way to get a new one was via a support process with Nintendo and they ran out of stock in 2024.

zoklet-enjoyer 10mo ago

Oh wow. I never played my Wii U without the gamepad, so I didn't know this. Makes sense that the gamepads are still as expensive as they are.

saagarjha 10mo ago

I wonder if you could run this on the Steam Deck or similar hardware.

homarp 10mo ago
per the github repo: What devices are supported? Steam Deck Linux (check Wi-Fi hardware compatibility) Nintendo Switch (requires Broadcom firmware patch or external Wi-Fi adapter) Android (currently frontend only) Windows (currently frontend only) Raspberry Pi (requires external Wi-Fi adapter) iOS - Coming soon
chocochunks 10mo ago
You can. It works really well, except for not supporting the Wii U power button and not yet allowing button reconfig. The latter is annoying because you are using Xbox bindings on Nintendo.

kh_hk 10mo ago

So I see the merit of a well produced video, don't get me wrong. But wasn't this a bit of a lot of bluff for not so much content?

Someone1234 10mo ago
My impression the video isn't designed for people "inside baseball," and tries to establish context for "What even is this thing that you're working on?" I guess the author could add a skip if viewers don't want 5-minutes~ of Wii U background/context. Here is a rough timestamped-link for skipping the context: https://youtu.be/jlbcKuDEBw8?si=X1S3g2npigtWf5bk&t=303 https://youtu.be/jlbcKuDEBw8?si=X1S3g2npigtWf5bk&t=303

deleted 10mo ago

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