YouTuber Voultar has shared a information on utilizing our favourite microcontroller, the Raspberry Pi Pico, as a instrument to unbrick the Nintendo Wii U.
The repair treatments an obvious corruption of the flash reminiscence utilized in Nintendo’s now 11-year-old console. Based on Nintendo, the errors (160-0101 and 160-0103) relate to both a system model being outdated or system reminiscence corruption. The corruption is alleged to brick the machines, making them unusable. In Voultar’s video they search to higher perceive this problem and have bought 5 bricked Wii U’s for testing.
To aim the repair, Voultar used a $4 Raspberry Pi Pico to restore the “Title ID” which is corrupted within the Wii U’s reminiscence. This does not essentially imply that the entire reminiscence is corrupt, moderately the info that tells the Wii U the place information is saved has been corrupted.
The software program facet of the venture makes use of GaryOderNichts UDPIH (USB Descriptor Parsing Is Arduous) venture. This software program exploits a bug with the USB host stack descriptor, which allows USB units to inject a payload into the Wi U. On this case the payload will likely be software program to unbrick the reminiscence.
Putting in the software program to the Raspberry Pi Pico is straightforward. GaryOderNichts has equipped a UF2 file which could be flashed on to the Raspberry Pi Pico’s onboard flash reminiscence. After {that a} restoration menu file must be copied from the GitHub to the basis of a freshly formatted FAT32 SD card. Place that within the Wii U, after which get able to insert the Raspberry Pi Pico into the Wii U.
That is the important bit, and Voultar is particular of their directions: Hear for the interior drive to start out. When this occurs, join the Raspberry Pi Pico to both of the entrance USB ports. Be aware that the drive can begin earlier than or after the Wii U brand seems.
As soon as the exploit has been used, the restoration menu seems. Utilizing Eject to navigate the menu and Energy to pick out, Voultar selects ColdBoot File and recaches the Wii U working system for his or her respective nation. As soon as completed, Voultar onerous powers off the Wii U and is offered with a working console.
This venture is a superb instance of utilizing an exploit that might be used for nefarious means for good — as a instrument to revive and restore outdated consoles.
The Wii U just isn’t the one console to obtain new life due to the Raspberry Pi Pico. The unique PlayStation console has seen a Pico substitute the CD drive, to play ROM recordsdata. One of many Wii U’s predecessors, the GameCube, has additionally seen a Pico primarily based modchip to allow it play homebrew video games. Going additional again within the historical past of videogaming there’s even a Pico primarily based emulator for Sinclair ZX Spectrum house computer systems from the early Eighties.