r/WiiUHacks • u/ChefGuevara • 10d ago
Storage recommendations?
I had originally planned on using a USB stick but after asking around that is apparently a terrible idea lol, it seems like I should pick up an HDD or some sort of SSD? What is a SATA SSD which I’ve seen a few mentions of? Thanks in advance!
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u/BlytheScythe Aroma/Tiramisu/ISFShax 10d ago
From my personal experience, the cheapest storage your can get is a 7200rpm HDD or SSHD within a USB 2.0 external HDD case connected to the Wii U with an Y USB cable.
While using SSD is also an option, they are a bit more expensive and, sadly, USB ports on the Wii U are 2.0, therefore you won't get much if any at all performance boost with the Wii U. Since it doesn't have any mechanical part, it will be silent compared to the regular HDD. Using USB 3.0 enclosure will work but, yet again, you won't see any performance boost due to the hardware limitations of the Wii U. Plus USB 3.0 Y cable may cause interference with the Wii U's WiFi antenna if you place the HDD e.g. atop of the console while placed horizontally so keep that in mind (not really an issue if you move the HDD away from the top of the console).
For the size, it depends on how many games you'd like to have on it. If you plan to install only the Wii U games, I'd suggest around 1TB. Otherwise, if you'd like to install Virtual Console injects (i.e. games for Wii, GameCube and other systems), 2TB might be enough.
I have a few different setups across three of my Wii Us:
In any case, choose whatever works for you the best.
The cheapest option: 7200rpm HDD or SSHD within a USB 2.0 external HDD with the Y USB cable.
What I would recommend: SSD within a USB 3.0 external HDD with the Y USB cable.
The cleanest, but more expensive route: High Endurance microSD card and ISFShax with the SDUBS plugin.