Wii Gets Custom Firmware, Purported PSP Emulator

[admin]

Engadget is reporting that some recent unofficial Wii modding news has had a couple of interesting breakthroughs. First, it seems that a team has released what is being called the "first custom firmware for the Wii" that supposedly allows writable DVDs to be read in emulators. Second, the folks from TeamShift have shots of a "working" PSP emulator for the Wii. Unfortunately "working" only means between 4 and 8 frames per second, so still a long way from playable.

http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?no_d2=1&sid=08/07/18/1739205

[drfsupercenter]

Hmm, that's interesting... I already knew about homebrew hacking (e.g. Twilight Hack and the Homebrew Channel), but there's only so much you can do with that. If they've made another Swap Magic, it would be interesting to see it in action.

--EDIT--

Apparently the description is wrong. All the custom firmware does is allow you to use burned DVD-Rs for emulators and such... not play them in the disc channel. It also allows you to run an ISO dumper, that will make partial ISO files on your SD card (eliminating the need for a fancy drive in order to make Wii ISOs)

[Budreaux]

Hmm, that's interesting... I already knew about homebrew hacking (e.g. Twilight Hack and the Homebrew Channel), but there's only so much you can do with that. If they've made another Swap Magic, it would be interesting to see it in action.

--EDIT--

Apparently the description is wrong. All the custom firmware does is allow you to use burned DVD-Rs for emulators and such... not play them in the disc channel. It also allows you to run an ISO dumper, that will make partial ISO files on your SD card (eliminating the need for a fancy drive in order to make Wii ISOs)

It all starts somewhere and this is one of the first stops forward.
There is no reason to watch DVDs on a Wii, it doesn't support HDMI and you can use a regular DVD player for that.
i've always discouraged folks I did game console mods for, from using it as a DVD player. The laser in these consoles have a life expectancy and watching DVDs will reduce that lifespan.

I'd also like to mention Sony's change with this next PS3 to not support PS2 games is a huge disappointment, expected but still disappointing. They aer failing where the other two are succeeding. Wanting to use software emulation to support backwards compatibility in teh PS3 is the reason, they are afraid, with good reason, to use hardware to support PS2 games, due to mod chips.

[drfsupercenter]

See, this is where I disagree... I've been posting a lot on a certain forum (linking to it would likely be in violation of a certain rule here), and they confirmed that the DVD-ROM drive on the Wii is the same as any other DVD-ROM drive. It's just nerfed to not read DVD-ROM discs.

But if you put a drivechip on it, there's absolutely no reason that using it as a DVD player would hurt the laser... any more than using your computer's DVD drive to play movies. Think of how much the laser works just in reading Wii discs... why would it be any different for DVD-ROM? And personally I'm trying to develop a DVD player app... they already made an mplayer, and I'm trying to port something like Ogle over to see what would happen.

And Sony is stupid... there will be modchips for PS3s out sooner than they think... though of course I won't bother with it since I don't like voiding my warranties. Now, if they want to sell PS2 games over the online store, fine with me... it's not like anyone will actually buy them when they can go out and get the disc and use it on their old PS2... And if you ask me, Swap Magic is one of the most influential gaming devices out there... because it proves that there's no point to a modchip and it probably had Sony running scared (and unlike the Wii, they couldn't use any sort of software update to disable it, like Nintendo disabled the GameCube's Action Replay)

[admin]

I think Budreaux was trying to say is that if the Wii is turned into a DVD player, you end up using it (and the laser) more and more, and it will wear out. Fixing a Wii (or buying a new one) is much more expensive than say just buying a cheaper DVD player (that upscales and has HDMI output) and using that as your DVD player.

The Wii only supports SD progressive output, so it's a poor DVD player, although it could become very portable. But then again, portable DVD players are cheap too, even those ones with LCD screens.

[drfsupercenter]

Yeah I know... I'm more interested in making a DVD Player Channel just to have it, since I realize most people have DVD players already.

With this new custom IOS, you might not even need a modchip to play DVDs on the Wii.

[Budreaux]

Swap Magic is one of the most influential gaming devices out there... because it proves that there's no point to a modchip and it probably had Sony running scared

Admin was correct in my intentions.

As for Swap Magic vs mod chips, I completely disagree.
I was a mod chip installer for the PS2 and the flexibility of the chip over the disk was rather great. The chips also allowed you to run your games directly off an installed harddrive. This was a perfect solution for me because my son was terrible with handling game discs. I installed a 500gb harddrive and put every game I had on there for him. Then it was just a matter of him selecting the game title from a list and playing.

Swap Magic required still using a disk, plus either using a tool for popping the drive door or modding the case for drive access.... the chip was a one step operation.

[drfsupercenter]

Well, Swap Magic didn't void your warranty.

That being said, I don't own a PS2, and even I know what Swap Magic is. As for the Wii, it's amazing how much stuff can be done with Twilight Hack alone... just about everything but playing backups. And even then, getting a Wii modchip (I bought one but have yet to install it) is only about $15... probably less than any other console.

[Budreaux]

Well, Swap Magic didn't void your warranty.

That being said, I don't own a PS2, and even I know what Swap Magic is. As for the Wii, it's amazing how much stuff can be done with Twilight Hack alone... just about everything but playing backups. And even then, getting a Wii modchip (I bought one but have yet to install it) is only about $15... probably less than any other console.

Actually, there were several PS2 chips going for under $10 when I stopped doing them.

Funny thing about the Voided Warranty.... the fixes that were engineered through the mod chipping community for the v13s was teh exact fix that Sony ended using in subsequent version releases. Sony pays close attention to the modding industry and their approach is a$$backwards of how it should be.
Heck,t he day I bought my PSP, I had it completely apart and setting on my work table. Warranties aren;t something we worry about too much in the modding world, but i do understand the need for others to maintain their warranties.

[drfsupercenter]

That's why I like the fact that Nintendo doesn't have the "warranty void if this seal is broken" stickers. If you use something like a WiiClip with a modchip, you won't void your warranty at all and they have no way of knowing you even use one (same with a Supercard or other flashcart for the DS)

I have a feeling that talking about modchips isn't exactly a good idea in this forum... so I'll try to refrain from it. But basically, there's a heck of a lot of stuff you can do with a Wii with only Twilight Princess and an SD card with no modding needed.