Many opinions on the Wii U's dedicated YouTube app agree on one thing — it's not the best. With slow load times and in some cases a bad habit of crashing, it seems ripe for some updates and improvements in the future. Many discovered that, courtesy of the system's speedy Web Browser, it was actually quicker and a far more enjoyable experience to go to the full website for videos of sneezing baby pandas.
Unfortunately, recent tweaks to YouTube appear to have prevented the website working properly on the HTML5 browser, much to the frustration of dedicated YouTubers. While it's not beyond the realms of possibility that further work on YouTube itself or perhaps the Wii U Browser will resolve the issue, we very much doubt that it's high on the list of priorities for either the video service or Nintendo.
Still, a workaround has been discovered by gonintendo, with a tweak of the video page's URL getting things up and running. Simply go to the web page of your video of choice and tap on the url bar, replace the "watch?v=" part of the address with “embed/”, and enjoy that thousandth version of the Gangnam dance you were so keen to see.
It's an unfortunate fiddle to continue viewing YouTube videos on Wii U via its browser; it's either that or take your chances with the app.
[source gonintendo.com]
Comments 38
I thought we were supposed to be moving towards HTML5, not away from it
Mine works better then my iPads
I wonder if YouTube deliberately broke the site on the Wii U browser version to encourage people to use the awful YouTube app?
Youtube launched an XL site designed for TV browsing as well at youtube.com/xl but this also does not work, and the site design itself frankly is not great, every link you click is a Javascript link that updates the page instead of loading a new one.
Nice going, YouTube.
If this is for us to use your terrible app, then screw you.
Otherwise, fix up the HTML5 coding.
ugh, it was working SO WELL too, esp since the youtube app itself is total garbage, doesn't allow for viewing on the gamepad, and if anything hardly uses the gamepad at all properly
unfortunately the YouTube app on my "smart TV" is even worse than the one for Wii U so i did use the Wii U browser to watch it. Cant really blame Nintendo, they've got no control over how YouTube serves the content.
I loved Youtube on the browser! This ticks me off greatly.
Instead of that put _popup before the ? in the web address. It works better.
Great... Just great...
I finally have YouTube in HD and now I have to make an extra little fiddle to get it to work.
It won't bother me much... I'm more upset with YouTube "updating" the layout every 5 minutes. I hate how they have a nice convenient setup that is perfect and then they change the f---ing thing to make me have to relearn YouTube.
Yeah, I'm mad that they REMOVED THE PLAY BUTTON on the browser... The embed trick works (Thank god), but I still don't want them to try forcing us to use their stupid crashing app.
@TheDreamingHawk
It's even worse than that, the app always plays the highest quality video available which it cannot even play back with full frames, and a large number of videos cannot even be displayed through the app because they may not be available in a certain encode.
I think the YouTube app uses Webm encodes when available but not every video has those. So when I check out my subscriptions through the YouTube app it may be there are entire channels with no viewable content.
Disappointing when you consider that some of the Wii U's appeal is browsing the web together on the big screen. Not unexpected though.
This is probably not deliberate, but just an unforeseen consequence of code updates on the you tube page.
i dont even like the app that much on the wiiu you cant even get to your favourites on there compared to the actual site etc etc and of course theres the gamepad viewing thing as well
It was so good using YouTube via the wii u browser. Very disappointed, but I just hope it was a mistake and it will be fixed.
Man I was so upset last night when you tube would no longer work i was using it all the time and it worked very good...Glad there is away around this cause i love steaming this to my home theater system so right on for posting this.
I've already dispensed this information on Miiverse, but lets actually try to enact the change that we all want to see happen. Go to YouTube, scroll down to the bottom, click 'Leave Feedback' and voice your grievances.
Anyone who cares about restoring the Wii U Browser version of YouTube to its former glory should do this. I've already done so. Your turn.
@P184 I did so yesterday. I hope YouTube actually reads their feedback.
@MetroidMasher17 their blurb says they do, so lets hope that's not just marketing speak. Thanks for joining in and being proactive.
Whatever the reason, I miss the simplicity and convenience of the browser. I really hope that either this gets resolved or the app becomes exponentially better. I'm glad to participate in any sort of petition to resolve this.
Left a message for YT as well.
That sucks, one of the nicest things about the browsing experience on the Wii U was being able to watch videos without having to leave the browser to do it. The Youtube app they put on the system is a complete joke and is obviously nothing more than a ported mobile version. Basic "no-duh" features like touch screen support and the on-screen keyboard actually typing on the screen you're looking at are missing for no good reason. The Netflix app meanwhile is slick, responsive and easy to use. Youtube needs to get their act together.
lol this is just crazy main theory that everyone has is the fact that they did this just so ppl would use the apps which is horrible how can something so good and nice feature could just be ruined like that =| their new layout sucks and i would understand if the new layout made things faster or more html5 but sounds more like the opposite o_o
theres no word or sign that this will get fix or some update is coming either also this is youtube not nintendo's fault
remember to use their feedback button and tell them how you feel or on miiverse!
I'm using the New PlayOn for Wii U, you get a free year membership and no catch! On your gamepad, enter wii.playon.com when your set-up. Better than youtube .
this sucks big time
YouTube didn't broke for the Wii U, it's already normal YouTube that, as always, to get some things better they broke others.
That Youtube channel on the original Wii,makes me want to pull my hair out,it's so awkward,it doesn't play videos half the time,it disconnects from the internet,and searching for a video is so fustraiting .
Man, Youtube in the browser was one of the best things about Wii U. This is soooooooooo obnoxious and inconvenient.
Oh that's annoying! Youtube wasn't so good on the Wii...so I hoped on the Wii U would be better. I'm sure it is better on the Wii U, but with the sudden change youtube "it's just a little suspicious to me" is all. Hmm...
what point are you trying to make Araknie i couldnt make it out from your post
I don't mind the Youtube app really, even if it is horribly unituative. Most of my Youtube watching is done at work, where it belongs.
The YouTube App is the worst on Wii U right now. No Gamepad support to speak of and a buggy, ugly, unintuitive UI.
The problem is the new youtube layout is detecting that the Wii U Browser uses flash, thus the blank window. This can be VERY EASILY fixed, serously they could finish the patch in a hour so Youtube detects the browser as html5 and not flash.
i got a discussion about this going on here: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/youtube/SLDH9oMBm1E/knnonfw4BYUJ
Frankly, the app sucks. I'm glad at least there is a way, but this is ridiculous.
Really awful. I used this to look up walkthroughs and now have to use a workaround? Just terrible.
there is an alternative way. after "watch" insert "_popup"
I recommend using _popup as well. I tried listening to a song using the option NLife gave, but I got a message saying that I could only watch it on Youtube. When I used _popup though, the video played just fine.
I'm on my Wii U right now and listening to Coldplays youtube channel in another tab... Youtube seems to work just fine for me?
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