What can a hacked Nintendo Wii do? That’s a question that many console owners have been wondering over the years, especially since the Wii has fallen by the wayside in favour of the Nintendo Switch.
I mean, the Wii was Nintendo’s best selling home console until their new hybrid hero stole the show, and I think most of you will still have at least one of these kicking around your house somewhere.
Especially since they’re not worth that much these says, if you want to know the answer to ‘how much is a Wii worth‘, than open our article to read after this one!
With Nintendo discontinuing the original console in 2013 and putting a stop to the Wii Shop Channel back in 2019, there’s a lot to be desired if you want the classic experience.
Now, with the wonder of some very clever tweaks, you’ll not only be able to restore the Wii experience of old, but also unlock it past its previous potential.
So, if you do still own a Wii console and want to get the most out of it today, you can hack it.
But what can a hacked Nintendo Wii do? Let’s get into five benefits of breaking into the matrix.
1. Remove Region Lock
If you’re looking to play the full Wii collection of games, then sadly you’ll be disappointed as the console is region locked to the place you purchased it from.
This means if you wanted to play EU games on a US console, for example, you’d be out of luck.
But, if you choose to hack your Wii, you can completely remove the region lock, thus allowing you to play literally any region game you want.
That opens up a whole new world of gaming to you!
2. Play Homebrew Games
While officially released games are the go-to for most of the gaming population, there are also titles known as homebrew games, usually created by indie developers.
These can be installed and played on a hacked Wii, creating an even larger library of titles for you to enjoy on your now unlocked console.
3. Install Emulators
Installing and using emulators is always a contentious point, whether that’s the legality or simply their performance compared to the original hardware.
With a hacked Nintendo Wii, however you can install a few different emulators to play older generation games.
The likes of mGBA for Game Boy Advance, Snes9x GX for the SNES, and even Wii64 for the N64, are all available for install, allowing you to get some game time in on these more retro systems.
The N64 is probably the limit in terms of emulation potential here, so don’t expect to be playing more recent titles.
4. Play Game Backups
We all know that having a physical collection of games can encroach on your space, whether that be in a game room or a more living room area.
Additionally, with any aging console, there’s always a worry that the disk drive could fail both from overuse and simply components failing.
Hacking your Wii though provides you with the tools to play backups of your game library without having to use your discs.
To do this, you’ll have to install some software, backup your disks using a PC or laptop, and load them onto an SD card or hard drive ready for slotting into your Wii.
This will work for both Wii and GameCube games, since the console is backwards compatible. So, if you’ve also got some of those titles lying around you can make the most of them.
If your library is a little lacking though, why not look to pick up the best Wii party games, or even some of the most underrated Wii games if you think you’ve played all the biggies.
5. Play DVDs
If you weren’t aware, even though other consoles that were released in the Wii’s generation had DVD capabilities, Nintendo opted not to include it out of the box.
However, with the magic of a hacked Nintendo Wii, you can in fact make some adjustments to get your DVD collection running.
To get this done, you’ll have to install a homebrew app called MPlayer which will unleash the full potential of the disk drive.
Installing MPlayer will also give you the opportunity to play other video formats and even music via the SD card slot.
This essentially turns the Wii into a complete media playing device, almost rivaling that of new generation consoles.
Final Thoughts
So, to round things off, what can a hacked Nintendo Wii do? Well, it essentially allows you to have even more fun with one of the world’s most popular consoles.
From emulation to watching movies from your DVD collection, a hacked Wii could become your console for those comfy times in a Sunday morning when nostalgia hits and all you want is to be able to play that copy of Twilight Princess you bought on holiday in California.
What will you do with your hacked Wii if you choose to get into the modding scene? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
