Wiikey = best wii chip?

uzumakishade · April 23, 2007, 11:14:51 PM

well im planning on getting a wii sometime this month or next (got a job now woo!) and one of the first things i want to do is get the modchip for it (for homebrew and backups). What i want to know is a couple of things

1. Is wiikey the best/easiest to install right now?
2. theres no way to play roms on the vc yet is there?
3. how easy is the wiikey to install for a person soldering the first time?
4. if i install/solder it incorrectly is it easy to repair?
5. does it play DVD-/+RW? or just DVD-R or DVD+R?
6. has anyone had difficulty running NTSC-J on an NTSC-U system? (want to know about Naruto mostly right now, but wouldnt mind anyone mentioning any other good jap games that dont need to know how to speak japanese to play)

i think thats it for now

Perseid · April 23, 2007, 11:47:13 PM

1) The Wiikey has issues that have not been fixed. Gamecube games with streaming audio(Ikaruga and Eternal Darkness fall under this category) do not work, backup or original. They claim they are going to release an update. There isn't one yet. So is the Wiikey the best? Right now, no. When the update comes out probably yes.

2) Correct. There is not.

6) Most NTSC-J games work. I believe Naruto is the only game that doesn't work. You can either run the ISO through a region patcher or the Wiikey has a force region option. PAL<>NTSC is far flakier. Some work fine. Some don't at all. I think this is the same on all Wii modchips.

onekelly · April 24, 2007, 01:44:53 AM

3. Very hard if you have never soldered.
4. Depends how back you screw it up. Possible to fix, but if really bad, SOL.
5. Not sure on that one.

Mailyfesux · April 24, 2007, 01:51:30 AM

5. Yes. It does work with DVD +/- RW

uzumakishade · April 24, 2007, 06:39:28 PM

ok so its hard for someone whos never soldered, but if instructions/pictures are provided for a person who has soldered before (not soldered as in console mods but just regular soldering) is it easy?

DeVS · April 24, 2007, 07:23:55 PM

It's not easy bottom line. I have soldered many consoles and it still took about 30 to 45mins to install. It's hard to tell you what to compare it too since you have never soldered a console before. It is harder then a XboX 1 and GC but not nearly as hard as a PS2.

DeVS · April 25, 2007, 02:06:23 PM

Another quick note. Personally if I had to do it all over again, I would go with the WiiFree chip. Simple pic chip with an open source firmware that is updated regularly and thus far BETTER then the commercial Wiikey chip as WiiFree has fixed the GC audio problems.

uzumakishade · April 25, 2007, 03:25:15 PM

so if i have a chance to get a wiifree instead of wiikey i should get that? is the only difference better support?(which is a good thing of course)
meaning it still supports dvd +/- RW which is one of the big points for me so i can test games before officially burning them to dvd

DeVS · April 25, 2007, 03:30:17 PM

Can't buy a WiiFree as far as I know, you have to build it. It's a simple pic chip, but you will either have to buy or build a pic programmer.

uzumakishade · April 25, 2007, 09:20:04 PM

oh ok, im gunna be calling around the places that advertise in the pennysaver about modchip installs and see if any of them include the modchip ( like the wiifree) as ive heard some people do that

DeVS · April 25, 2007, 10:56:20 PM

While the WiiFree is regularly updated, it requires you to take out the chip and reflash with the pic programmer each time to update it.

uzumakishade · April 25, 2007, 11:01:37 PM

oh, so would i have to solder/desolder it each time or is it easier than that?

DeVS · April 27, 2007, 02:44:32 PM

There are shops that will install the WiiFree and use a socket so that you can easily pop the WiiFree in and out of the socket (no soldering required). You would still want to pick up a pic programer so that you could upgrade the chip with your pc when needed. Pic programers are cheap to buy or easy to make.

uzumakishade · April 27, 2007, 05:59:19 PM

where can i find shops like that? do you think people who advertise in the papers about installing modchips would be able to add said socket?

DeVS · April 27, 2007, 06:02:28 PM

If they could do the install they could easily do the socket. It's no more work. Instead of soldering the wires to the pic chip they solder them to the socket and then you simply push the pic chip into the socket and then pull it out when you want to upgrade it. Where do you live (States, UK, Canada,ect?)

Im officaly telling people to avoid the Wiikey now. There support is pathetic.