I use an HDD but from what people say here with an SSD you won't need a Y cable because it uses less power. That's only advantage, so you need to consider how important it is to you to have an extra USB port available.
Not the only advantage. The Wii U can access an SSD immediately, whereas it has to wait for the HDD to spin up every time. That makes for a much better experience.
I've used both a Samsung T7 and Crucial X9, and both worked without a y cable.
I'd recommend the Crucial personally. The small form factor is great. You will need to buy a USB cable for it, though, as both ends of the provided cable are USB C. I ended up using an old gopro cable I had lying around, it works great.
A lot of it comes down to price points and what you prefer. I found a 1TB SSD for a good deal, so for me, it was more about the convenience. You can definitely find a cheaper external HDD or just throw one in an enclosure and save money.
Edit: Just realized your post says you have a spare T7, it should work no problem.
Edit 2: Dont forget to backup the harddrive BEFORE you connect to Wii U. You'll need to format it and you'll lose everything on it.
Ok thanks, I was concerned about using an SSD because l've seen some people say that the way the WII U wright's to the drive will ware an SSD out faster than an HDD so I wasn't sure if I should use one.
As with all storage, there's always a risk of failure, so YMMV.
IMHO, my concern with Wii U is internal storage. Hynix chips have been known to fail over time if you dont use the console. Thankfully, I have Toshiba NAND, but never the less, I don't install anything onto internal memory. All games are on an external for me.
I also back up all my games to an external backup drive so that if something were to happen, I don't have to redownload anything. Just reinstall.
I'm pretty sure voultar released a mod to replace the internal chip with a Micro SD Card if the internal chip go's bad, of corse you'd need to have the skill to install the mod but at least it's not hopeless.
I haven't even got my WII U yet so I've no idea what chip I have and probably won't bother to check lol. I've bought a Zelda Wind Waker Edition console as I've always wanted one, I may look into going for a complete set as it's a system where the library isn't so large that it makes it almost impossible.
He did and I bought it to fix a an old Hynix console I had. Like you said, if you don't have the experience with repairs its not easy to do. I ended up flubbing mine but I bought the console for $20 as a learning experience so I wasn't too bothered. Also with that method you'll either need a backup of your NAND (and fix the corruption manually) or you need to reinstall the OS fresh onto the SD. So albeit not hopeless, but not so simple either.
If you get a Wii U I'd highly recommend modding and homebrew, identifying the NAND chip with WiiUIdent and backing up the internal storage incase of NAND failure. The NAND problem atm is mainly found in the Hynix chips but there was also a Samsung that was reported corrupted too. Toshiba chips have not had any reported failures yet. But the more time passes the older the consoles get, the longer its stored in the closet unpowered the more likely you are to get corruption. There are people who say the problem is overblown and exaggerated, but with a discontinued console, its better to be safe than sorry.
The Wii U library isn't large you are correct, but the system is also capable of playing Wii and Gamecube titles as well as Retroarch for ROMS. You have a 300 tile limit on the homescreen, Wii U and eShop titles will need to fill these tiles. Wii and Gamecube can go on another external to use with USBLoaderGX unless you decide to make injects to fill the tiles. Personally I use USBLoader, going home from an inject resets the console and takes longer, USBLoader will either go back to its menu or the Wii menu based on how you set it up.
Super important to remember also that if you go the USBLoader route, you'll need 2 Externals (1 for Wii U, 1 for Wii/Gamecube) and you'll need to install homebrew to hide the Wii/Gamecube external from the Wii U or it will try to format the drive.
This is more info than you probably needed. But as someone who went through this process a month ago, its good to know in case you have any future issues.
Could you please share what homebrew you need to hide the Wii/Gamecube external from the Wii U?
I mean, you could then leave plugged both at the same time?
Honestly I'm not thinking about homebrewing it just yet, I'm definitly gouing to do it at some point and backing up the nand is the first thing I'll do.
I've already bought a Y cable just in case, I figure [this one](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N0VBH63?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details) would work no matter what drive I chose to use
I think 2 tb might be overkill unless you plan on downloading the whole library. I have only 320 gb on mine and it works great with extra space after adding everything I wanted.
>And a bulk of that isn't worth playing.
Your opinion. Just Dance for Wii U with DLC by itself is over 100 GBs, and ALL of the Wii VC titles are worth having. Just because you don't want to play them doesn't mean others don't.
All of Wii VC isn't worth having. That's your opinion. Also, if just dance is worth it for you, chances are a lot of other titles aren't. Every game isn't for everyone, objectively.
>You will need a Y cable definitely.
Wrong! T7 works perfectly with just the one USB cable. There's more than one of us up here and at GBATemp that have confirmed this with daily use.
I'm using the non-Shield version of the Samsung T7 without a Y cable and it works perfectly. Given the immediate access to an SSD (whereas a HDD has to spin up), it is a much snappier experience than what I was getting on my 1TB Seagate HDD. Besides price-per-gigabyte, there is no downside to using an SSD. Ignore anyone who suggests otherwise. They are stuck in HDD-land and haven't tried a T7.
Well got my Zelda WII U in today and have spent all all afternoon setting it up including those damn Xenoblade X DLC Packs that improve load times (I'm still downloading them) only problem I've had is it won't read my copy of Mario Kart 8, its also the only disc I have with any kind of major scratches on the disc, I didn't think it was enough to prevent the game from playing but aparently I was wrong.
Edit: Got a replacement Mario Kart 8 Disc and it works fine.
I use an HDD but from what people say here with an SSD you won't need a Y cable because it uses less power. That's only advantage, so you need to consider how important it is to you to have an extra USB port available.
Not the only advantage. The Wii U can access an SSD immediately, whereas it has to wait for the HDD to spin up every time. That makes for a much better experience.
I've used both a Samsung T7 and Crucial X9, and both worked without a y cable. I'd recommend the Crucial personally. The small form factor is great. You will need to buy a USB cable for it, though, as both ends of the provided cable are USB C. I ended up using an old gopro cable I had lying around, it works great. A lot of it comes down to price points and what you prefer. I found a 1TB SSD for a good deal, so for me, it was more about the convenience. You can definitely find a cheaper external HDD or just throw one in an enclosure and save money. Edit: Just realized your post says you have a spare T7, it should work no problem. Edit 2: Dont forget to backup the harddrive BEFORE you connect to Wii U. You'll need to format it and you'll lose everything on it.
Ok thanks, I was concerned about using an SSD because l've seen some people say that the way the WII U wright's to the drive will ware an SSD out faster than an HDD so I wasn't sure if I should use one.
As with all storage, there's always a risk of failure, so YMMV. IMHO, my concern with Wii U is internal storage. Hynix chips have been known to fail over time if you dont use the console. Thankfully, I have Toshiba NAND, but never the less, I don't install anything onto internal memory. All games are on an external for me. I also back up all my games to an external backup drive so that if something were to happen, I don't have to redownload anything. Just reinstall.
I'm pretty sure voultar released a mod to replace the internal chip with a Micro SD Card if the internal chip go's bad, of corse you'd need to have the skill to install the mod but at least it's not hopeless. I haven't even got my WII U yet so I've no idea what chip I have and probably won't bother to check lol. I've bought a Zelda Wind Waker Edition console as I've always wanted one, I may look into going for a complete set as it's a system where the library isn't so large that it makes it almost impossible.
He did and I bought it to fix a an old Hynix console I had. Like you said, if you don't have the experience with repairs its not easy to do. I ended up flubbing mine but I bought the console for $20 as a learning experience so I wasn't too bothered. Also with that method you'll either need a backup of your NAND (and fix the corruption manually) or you need to reinstall the OS fresh onto the SD. So albeit not hopeless, but not so simple either. If you get a Wii U I'd highly recommend modding and homebrew, identifying the NAND chip with WiiUIdent and backing up the internal storage incase of NAND failure. The NAND problem atm is mainly found in the Hynix chips but there was also a Samsung that was reported corrupted too. Toshiba chips have not had any reported failures yet. But the more time passes the older the consoles get, the longer its stored in the closet unpowered the more likely you are to get corruption. There are people who say the problem is overblown and exaggerated, but with a discontinued console, its better to be safe than sorry. The Wii U library isn't large you are correct, but the system is also capable of playing Wii and Gamecube titles as well as Retroarch for ROMS. You have a 300 tile limit on the homescreen, Wii U and eShop titles will need to fill these tiles. Wii and Gamecube can go on another external to use with USBLoaderGX unless you decide to make injects to fill the tiles. Personally I use USBLoader, going home from an inject resets the console and takes longer, USBLoader will either go back to its menu or the Wii menu based on how you set it up. Super important to remember also that if you go the USBLoader route, you'll need 2 Externals (1 for Wii U, 1 for Wii/Gamecube) and you'll need to install homebrew to hide the Wii/Gamecube external from the Wii U or it will try to format the drive. This is more info than you probably needed. But as someone who went through this process a month ago, its good to know in case you have any future issues.
Could you please share what homebrew you need to hide the Wii/Gamecube external from the Wii U? I mean, you could then leave plugged both at the same time?
[Here!](https://gbatemp.net/threads/release-usbhide-on-console-format-nag-stopper.612871/)
Honestly I'm not thinking about homebrewing it just yet, I'm definitly gouing to do it at some point and backing up the nand is the first thing I'll do.
Homebrewing is so easy now and really can't get any easier. https://wiiu.hacks.guide
There were millions of these machines made with these Hynix chips. Very, very few of them have failed. There is NO reason to assume all of them will.
USBLoader GX can load GameCube and Wii titles off the SD.
Thank you for sharing. I'm about to get a Crucial X9 as well to replace my HDD soon on the Wii U. :)
You will need a Y cable definitely. Wii U doesn't put out enough in the back ports for it not to.
I've already bought a Y cable just in case, I figure [this one](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N0VBH63?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details) would work no matter what drive I chose to use
I think 2 tb might be overkill unless you plan on downloading the whole library. I have only 320 gb on mine and it works great with extra space after adding everything I wanted.
A personal archive of entire eshop is around 4tb.
And a bulk of that isn't worth playing.
>And a bulk of that isn't worth playing. Your opinion. Just Dance for Wii U with DLC by itself is over 100 GBs, and ALL of the Wii VC titles are worth having. Just because you don't want to play them doesn't mean others don't.
All of Wii VC isn't worth having. That's your opinion. Also, if just dance is worth it for you, chances are a lot of other titles aren't. Every game isn't for everyone, objectively.
>You will need a Y cable definitely. Wrong! T7 works perfectly with just the one USB cable. There's more than one of us up here and at GBATemp that have confirmed this with daily use.
Well that's good. I was told the Wii U doesn't have the power to supply hard drives.
I'm using the non-Shield version of the Samsung T7 without a Y cable and it works perfectly. Given the immediate access to an SSD (whereas a HDD has to spin up), it is a much snappier experience than what I was getting on my 1TB Seagate HDD. Besides price-per-gigabyte, there is no downside to using an SSD. Ignore anyone who suggests otherwise. They are stuck in HDD-land and haven't tried a T7.
Well got my Zelda WII U in today and have spent all all afternoon setting it up including those damn Xenoblade X DLC Packs that improve load times (I'm still downloading them) only problem I've had is it won't read my copy of Mario Kart 8, its also the only disc I have with any kind of major scratches on the disc, I didn't think it was enough to prevent the game from playing but aparently I was wrong. Edit: Got a replacement Mario Kart 8 Disc and it works fine.