Random: Raspberry Pi Hack Takes The Wii U GamePad One Step Closer To Switch

Don't scoff at the battery life until we've tried Switch's...

Which is:

A. Basically what I thought the Wii U GamePad should have been like from day one—and I genuinely think it would have been a more likely hit if it had that full portability from the start (see how excited many people are for Switch if you don't believe that) or at least could have been properly used more than a few feet away from the console unit.

B. Closer to how I imagined the Switch was going to be/look like (I imagined basically the Wii U console crammed into the GamePad and made into a fully portable system, with TV out, full BC with all Nintendo's older games from both home consoles and handhelds via digital, and no dock necessary).

@gcunit Yeah, I'm expecting around 3-4 hours battery life from the Switch itself.

The switch battery is rumoured at 3 hours also and a Nintendo insider has stated the switch battery as mediocre

But I believe it can't leave for very long distance, especially when the disc or system still being ON.

So it's like a Switch if the Switch only played VC games and didn't have removable controllers or a dock linked to the TV? I can definitely see the resemblance!

Not really one step closer though is it? They have just gutted out the wii u pad and put in a Pi - not exactly the most difficult thing in the world. Now if he had been able to incororate a switch to flick from wiiu to Pi mode then that would have been impressive.

However, I've recently took my pad apart to replace the touch screen as it was broke and there is no room for anything else in the case, so he has simply gutted it out.

@Turniplord How messy a job was it replacing your screen? An insect crawled under mine and I made the mistake of squashing it, so it's now stuck there until I remove the screen. But it's not much of an issue so I don't particularly want to risk deconstructing the gamepad unless it's a simple, low risk job.

@gcunit it's not too bad. I bought some screwdrivers off eBay for a few quid - took about 15 mins to take apart. There are a few guides online. Where is the bug though because the touch screen is literally glued onto the lcd so you have to pry it off

I wonder if Nintendo may do the same as the Wii U Gamepad and ship it with a lower capacity battery but offer a higher capacity one that can be swapped. Made a heck of a difference for me.

@gcunit a whole new meaning to having a bug in your system.

@Anti-Matter why would it. It doesn't need the wii u console.

@Turniplord I don't know how many layers make up the screen, or which one is which. All I know is there's dead bug somewhere beneath the top surface of the screen, seemingly between the display itself and what I presume is just a protective outer layer. It's not causing any problems that I'm aware of, just a visible annoyance (though not noticed while playing games, but more noticeable during browsing. Haven't tested to see whether it registers the stylus in that location or not yet).

@Kid_Sickarus Yeh, lol - I felt such a dufus immediately afterwards for squashing it, but while it was alive it was annoying me crawling around. It's less noticeable now its not moving, but less likelihood of it ever coming out of it's own accord. Shame death has such finality to it.

This is what virtual console should be. Fingers crossed for switch, a cartridges with Nintendo's old catalogue on!

Am I the only one who sees this as a waste of a Wii U GamePad with official The Wind Waker design?

@gcunit there are only 2 laters. The lcd then the touch screen. So if it's under there you have to take the whole pad apart - about 10 mins then using a sharp tool, pry the touch off the lcd which will remove the glue - or you could just pry a corner and scrape it out if it's near a corner?

It's not too difficult, it all depends if you think it's worth it or not

@UK-Nintendo
Eh ?

...I just want that Zelda gamepad. I may have to start looking in stores for a used wiiu.

@GravyThief People like to simplify stuff. It is easy to bash it that way.

I wouldn't say it's an incredible feat of engineering, considering it only plays games that a Pi can run. But yeah, good for them, I suppose.

@HopeNForever That's exactly what makes it more ballin'/infuriating.

@Turniplord I think it's worth it just so gcunit doesn't get bad bug karma and get haunted by a Bug/Ghost type...

@Ryu_Niiyama Iv got one- maybe I shall take up Scalping as a new hobby? Now, let's see...

WAN MIRRION DORRAS!

@gcunit Nah, we all know deep down inside that the Sandwitch battery life is going to allow, at best, on par with the original 3DS default battery's time limit... When 3D is set to max, WiFi is communicating, and brightness is set at 5.

Guh huh?

I wanted to do the exact thing but with a Wii motherboard instead. There's a portablize-me hack that makes it run with minimal components and you can actually CUT parts of the pcb off to make it small. I never did it because only certain revisions of Wii hardware are easily trimmed and i figured I'd destroy a few motherboards in the trimming process. Also, I'm lazy.

@HappyMaskedGuy "it only plays games that a Pi can run"

That's a pi 3 in there. It can play more games than you could ever play in your lifetime. It can play NES and N64 games without the awful dull anti-epilepsy filter that the official Wii U VC adds. It can even emulate Dreamcast at a decent rate. I'm pretty sure you can stream your steam games to it from your PC, too.

This is a really cool mod. The gamepad looks almost stock. It'd be nice if they could squeeze a gyro/accelerometer module in there for mouse emulation, and as an added tribute to one of the original gamepad's best features...

Edit: if you could also squeeze in a Bluetooth module and a couple of IR LEDs behind the 'sensor bar' part, you could also re-enable one of the gamepad's dumbest features, too.

@toxibunny Good points, and very well made too.

But it's still not a portable Wii U

Iv got a Pi3 but haven't started working on it yet. I was hoping to create a nice wee arcade cabinet.

I amend my previous sentiments to 'impressive'

Or a psp could do this and more 10 years ago.

Wow, that's probably the most useless mod I've ever seen.

@Clownshoes: Seems like you didn't read up on that matter. They did figure out how to do online accounts a long time ago. That doesn't mean migrating (not porting) games will be for free.
And btw, there already was a migration option from Wii to Wii U and that one actually was for free.

@HappyMaskedGuy Do you take Monopoly money? Seriously I am such a sucker for Zelda. There is going to be an article about Nintendo making paper bags with the Crest of Hyrule on it and me buying out a store's entire stock.

Well, I'd buy such thing. I like the Wii U GamePad. Hehehehe...

Three hours, tops? That's Game Gear territory right there. Actually, the GG might do a tiny bit better. I never put batteries in mine. I believe the Nomad, Turbo Express and Atari Lynx were all in the same ballpark. I know this is more about the mod itself, so I don't mean any of that as criticism. It just brought me back.

While I applaud this as a good way of recycling a broken gamepad, likening this to the Switch is nothing but clickbait, and we can basically do the same with a 3DS anyway.

Nice Wii-u gamepad design!

@gamermole wow I know controllers that last longer than that! WTF Nintendo...

@Ryu_Niiyama that's how I found mine then traded it in for extra money for bills :/