Difference between revisions of "WiiKey"

Revision as of 00:06, 3 August 2007

The WiiKey modchip

Welcome to the WiiKey Wiki

The WiiKey was announced at the beginning of February 2007 and shipped at the end of the month. It is one of many modchips available for the Wii by Nintendo and acts as a firmware replacement funneled through the debug serial port - tricking the DVD drive into believing that the backup is in fact legit, much like current Xbox 360 chips do.

Specifications

As listed on the chip's official website:

Direct boot of Wii backups
Direct boot of GC backups
Direct boot of homebrew in GC mode
Supports all currently available console/drive versions
Supports D2B chipsets
Sophisticated (true) update mechanism via DVD (future proof, expect cool features to come)
Direct boot of different NTSC region Wii games/backups on US and JAP consoles (some incompatibilities)
Partial support for NTSC region Wii games/backups on PAL consoles
Partial support for PAL region Wii games/backups on NTSC consoles
Boots different region GC games/backups (partially without swapping)
Supports multi-disc games for BOTH Wii and GameCube
Supports DVD-R / true DVD R and RW support (no bitsetting required!)
Improved readsettings for recordable media
Built-in audio fix (work in progress)
Supports fullsize 4GB discs for GameCube homebrew
Stealth mode
512 byte EEPROM to store configuration
Quicksolder interface - no wires required
Unique disc backup application via sdcard
Compact design, best quality components, rock solid high speed controller
Professional ESD packing
Recovery mode - Can recover from a bad flash

Installation

Like its current competitors, the WiiKey is installed onto the Wii's drive either by quicksolder or using six wires. The chip can then be updated through the use of a Setup Disc which can be downloaded from the chip's website.

To open up the console, the following tools are required:

A small prying tool
A small phillips head screwdriver
A tri-wing driver

GBAtemp member crumpster has written an excellent guide to opening and soldering the Wii.

Diagrams
Setup Disc Images
Diagram showing where to solder pin 3 on the WiiKey for the D2B boards that are missing point 3 on the board.
Complete install guide thanks to Console Workshop for the new D2B models with the legs removed on the IC.

Region Free Compatibility

As of now, all region free methods (be it patching with a region free application, or in this case, the Wiikey's built in region free capability) share the same method of patching. Therefore, all compatibility issues are the same, and can be documented on one specific page.

Wii Region Patcher Compatibility List

Problem with Gamecube games that use streaming audio

In opposite to what's stated in the official specification, some people reported problems with Gamecube games that are using streaming audio. The problems seem to happen with any kind of media, be it backup or orignal. Source: ???

FAQ

Will WiiKey mod chip work with Nintendo Wii ONLINE games?

Yes. The Wiikey do not modify the Wii firmware. The WiiKey modify the responses that the DVD Drive sends to the motherboard when verifying discs authenticity.

Is there any special upgrades you have to do after chipping the system

No, there is no need of any special wiikey firmware upgrade (yet). You can upgrade the Wii firmware, but thats not related to the wiikey firmware. The Setup Disc Images V 1.2 is a disc image that can be burned and used to change the wiikey configuration and run DOL images.

Can Gamecube Homebrew games be burned onto regular size DVD-Roms and be played on the chipped Wii?

Yes, Gamecube homebrew games and apps can be burned on DVDs.

External links

@@ Line 82: / Line 82: @@
 * [http://gbatemp.net/index.php?showtopic=49885 GBATemp WiiKey Review]
 * [http://www.wiikey.cn Official WiiKey website]
+* [http://www.wiikeyguide.com/ Wiikey Guide]
 [[Category:Wii Modchips]]