Wii emulators: Difference between revisions

{{Infobox system

|title = Wii

}}

 

The '''[[wikipedia:Wii|Wii]]''' is a seventh-generation home video game console by Nintendo released on November 19, 2006, and priced at {{Inflation|USD|249.99|2006}}. It has an IBM PowerPC CPU at 729 MHz with 88 MB of RAM and an ATI Hollywood GPU at 243 MHz.

The Wii was a huge success with 101.63 million units sold, beating the likes of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 by being cheaper and attracting many casual gamers and non-gamers. Because of the Wii's and the [[GameCube emulators|GameCube]]'s similarity, Wii emulation happened very quickly through GameCube emulation.

==Emulators==

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;line-height:1.5;width:74%;font-size:90%;"

|+Before editing, review the [[Getting involved]] and [[Recommended emulators|Recommended]] pages. See [[Computer_specifications#Recommended_Specifications|system requirements]] page for performance demand of the emulators.<br/>See tables for <span style="font-weight: bold; color: #CC0000; border: 1px solid #CC0000; padding: 2px;">[[#Arcade variations|arcade variations]], [[#Enhancements|enhancements]], [[#Hardware_features_and_peripherals|hardware features and peripherals]].</span><br/>For more details such as [[licensing]], [[Source_code#Language_levels|programming language]], [[High_and_low-level_emulation|emulation method]], visit each emulator’s dedicated page.

! scope="col"|Name

! scope="col"|Platform(s)

! scope="col"|Latest version

! scope="col"|Compatibility

! scope="col"|[[Licensing|License]]

! scope="col"|Active

! scope="col"|[[Recommended emulators|Recommended]]

!colspan="11"|x86

| [[Dolphin]]

| align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}

| [https://dolphin-emu.org/download/#download-dev Dev]<br/>[https://dolphin-emu.org/download/ {{DolphinVer}}]<ref group=N>The last Dolphin release to support Windows 10 versions 1703 to 1809 is [https://dolphin-emu.org/download/release/2503a/ 2503a], and the last development build is [https://dolphin-emu.org/download/dev/eb84b0fb9b3cd21400987a1c10c4a38d4861b9a9/ 2503-148].[https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2025/06/04/dolphin-progress-report-release-2506/#windows-10-minimum-version-bumped-to-1903]The last Dolphin release to support macOS 10.15 Catalina is [https://dolphin-emu.org/download/release/2503a/ 2503a], and the last development build is [https://dolphin-emu.org/download/dev/afee9a56e96766d4622b1694398704e4c8d57b25/ 2503-270].[https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2025/06/04/dolphin-progress-report-release-2506/#macos-minimum-version-bumped-to-macos-11-big-sur]</ref><br/>[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ ''libretro core'']<ref group=N name=DolphinRA>Dolphin libretro core has been [https://github.com/libretro/dolphin/pull/352 updated and refactored to align with upstream Dolphin], but it may still contain some bugs not present in the standalone Dolphin version. As with the PPSSPP, Citra, and melonDS libretro cores, the standalone version of Dolphin is recommended over the libretro core.</ref><br/>[https://forums.dolphin-emu.org/Thread-unofficial-ishiiruka-dolphin-custom-version Dev] ([[Ishiiruka-Dolphin]]) (いし海豚)

| {{✓}}

| {{✓}}

!colspan="11"|ARM

| [https://dolphin-emu.org/download/#download-dev Dev]<br/>[https://dolphin-emu.org/download/ {{DolphinVer}}]<ref group=N>The last Dolphin release to support macOS 10.15 Catalina is [https://dolphin-emu.org/download/release/2503a/ 2503a], and the last development build is [https://dolphin-emu.org/download/dev/afee9a56e96766d4622b1694398704e4c8d57b25/ 2503-270].[https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2025/06/04/dolphin-progress-report-release-2506/#macos-minimum-version-bumped-to-macos-11-big-sur]</ref><br/>[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]<ref group=N name=DolphinRA></ref>

| {{✓}}

| DolphiniOS

| align=left|{{Icon|iOS|iPadOS}}

| [https://dolphinios.oatmealdome.me/download Release] [https://dolphinios.oatmealdome.me/beta Beta]

| {{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}})

| {{✓}}

| {{✓}}

|[[Dolphin MMJR]]^&Dagger;

|align=left|{{Icon|Android}}

|<strike>[https://github.com/Bankaimaster999/Dolphin-MMJR git]</strike>^&Dagger;

|{{✗}}

|{{✗}}

|align=left|{{Icon|Android}}

|[https://github.com/Tinob/Ishiiruka git]

|?

|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}} ({{License|Copyleft}})

|{{✗}}

|{{✗}}

|align=left|{{Icon|iOS|iPadOS|tvOS}}

|[https://provenance.itch.io/icube {{iCubeVer}}]</br>[https://github.com/Provenance-Emu/iCube/releases git]

|{{?}}

|{{?}}

|{{✓}}

|{{?}}

!colspan="11"|Consoles

| Dolphin

| align=left|{{Icon|XB1|XboxSXS}}

| [https://github.com/SirMangler/dolphin/releases 1.1.5]<ref group=N>Use these builds until [https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin/pull/11339 this PR merges].</ref><br />[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/1.14.0/windows-msvc2019-uwp/x64/ libretro core]<ref group=N name=DolphinRA></ref>

| {{✓}}

| {{✓}}

| Hagi

| align=left|{{Icon|NX}}

| Patch-based

| <small>[[Official_emulators#GameCube_.2F_Wii|Only for selected titles]]</small>

|{{Red}} {{License|Proprietary}}

|{{✓}}

|{{✓}}

==Native==

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;line-height:1.5;width:74%;font-size:90%;"

! scope="col"|Name

! scope="col"|Platform(s)

! scope="col"|Latest version

! scope="col"|Compatibility

! scope="col"|[[Licensing|License]]

! scope="col"|Active

! scope="col"|[[Recommended emulators|Recommended]]

!colspan="11"|Consoles

| Wii Mode (vWii)<br>[[FrisbiiU]]

| align=left|{{Icon|WiiU}}

| v5.5.6  

| [https://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/WiiU_VC_Wii_inject_compatibility_list 99%]<br/><small>518 out of 522 reported titles</small><ref group=N>The upscaler that the Wii U uses for Wii Mode introduces some color issues, image distortion and input lag ([https://www.reddit.com/r/SSBM/comments/v4vh1f/input_delay_on_wii_vs_wii_u/ib6kq5q/ about 21 ms?]). It can't currently be disabled, even by setting the Wii U to a lower resolution or using analog cables.</ref>

| {{Red}} {{License|Proprietary}}

| {{✓}}

===Comparisons===

::;[[Ishiiruka-Dolphin]]: A fork of Dolphin optimized towards performance at the cost of accuracy and stability in the process.

:;Hagi: An [[Official emulators|official]] GameCube/Wii emulator developed by Nintendo European Research & Development (NERD). Hagi has been used primarily for re-releases [[Emulators on Switch|on the Switch]], such as ''Super Mario Sunshine'', ''Super Mario Galaxy'', ''Pikmin'', and ''Pikmin 2''. It uses automatic button remapping based on memory.

:;vWii (Virtual Wii): vWii is the part of the Wii U's system for Wii mode[https://wiibrew.org/wiki/VWii]. Similar to [[PlayStation_5_emulators#Hardware_features_and_peripherals|PlayStation 5 backwards compatibility for PlayStation 4 (Pro)]] or [[Xbox_Series_X_and_Series_S#Hardware_features_and_peripherals|Xbox Series X|S backwards compatibility for Xbox One]].

==Enhancements==

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;width:100%"

! colspan=2 style="width:50%" | Name

! Dolphin

| rowspan="5" |Controls

|Disguise peripheral support through passthrough<br /><small>Tricking the software into think that the original controller was connected even those identify themselves with different device IDs. When a game tries to identify a connected 'nearly the same internally' controller, emulator will tell it that the equivalent original controller is connected instead, allowing it to work.</small>

|{{y}}[https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2025/06/04/dolphin-progress-report-release-2506/#2503-270-disguise-rock-band-playstation-usb-devices-as-wii-equivalents-by-josjuice]

|[[Input_lag|Input lag-mitigating technique]]

|{{✗}}

|[[Controllers#Mouse_Injectors_for_Emulators|Mouse injector compatible]]

|{{✓}}[https://github.com/garungorp/MouseInjectorDolphinDuck *]

|Real peripheral support (passthrough)<br /><small>Ability to passthrough USB HID devices or Bluetooth adapter for emulated system.</small>

|{{y}}[https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=USB_Passthrough][https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=Bluetooth_Passthrough]

|[https://docs.retroachievements.org/general/tutorials/turbo-button.html Turbo button]

|{{?}}

| Better [[texture filtering]]<br /><small>Enhancement option for providing better texture filtering methods comparing the original hardware had.</small>

| <small>Dolphin's anisotropic filtering '''enhancement''' is not emulation of the consoles' anisotropic filtering. In fact, Dolphin completely ignored all anisotropic filtering requests from the game entirely! Dolphin's enhancement was everything or nothing, and there was no way to only enable anisotropic filtering just for the textures that would have used it on console. As such, it was impossible to get console-matching texture output - without the enhancement some textures would be too soft, and with the enhancement some textures would be too sharp. It was never quite right. '''This has been changed recently though!'''[https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2025/06/04/dolphin-progress-report-release-2506/#2503-122-use-game-requested-anisotropic-filtering-by-pokechu22-and-billiard] If Dolphin's texture filtering is set to 'Default' and a game requests anisotropic filtering, Dolphin will now listen to the game's request and apply the specific anisotropic filtering it asked for (this way it will be emulation of the hardware feature, not enhancement).</small>

| Pre-rendering anti-aliasing<br /><small>(MSAA, SSAA)</small>

| {{✓}}

| Ray tracing<br /><small>([https://devblogs.microsoft.com/directx/announcing-microsoft-directx-raytracing/ DXR], [https://www.khronos.org/blog/ray-tracing-in-vulkan VRT] and [https://developer.apple.com/documentation/metal/metal_sample_code_library/accelerating_ray_tracing_using_metal MRT])</small>

| <small>Implementing ray tracing in an emulator is unfortunately quite challenging and unlikely to be possible soon.<br />However, you can try "[[Shaders_and_filters#Notable_ReShade_shaders|Screen-Space Ray Traced Global Illumination]]" shader using ReShade.{{YouTubeVideo|9IlqfrJwKr4|See here}} and [https://reshade.me/forum/general-discussion/5442-release-misc-emulators-with-depth-buffer-access#35113 here]</small>

| [[Resolution|Resizable internal resolution]]

| {{✓}}

| [https://github.com/NVIDIAGameWorks/rtx-remix/wiki RTX Remix]

| <small>Implementing RTX Remix technology in an emulator is unfortunately quite challenging and unlikely to be possible soon.<br />Besides, Dolphin already supports most of RTX Remix features such as access to assets, texture replacement and post-processing effects etc.[https://www.reddit.com/r/DolphinEmulator/comments/xn6p21/is_it_possible_to_use_rtx_remix_on_emulated/]<br />On top of that you can use ReShade.</small>

| Super-resolution techniques<br /><small>([https://github.com/NVIDIA/DLSS/blob/main/doc/DLSS_Programming_Guide_Release.pdf DLSS], [https://github.com/intel/xess/?tab=readme-ov-file XeSS] and [[Wikipedia:GPUOpen#FidelityFX_Super_Resolution|FSR 2+]])</small>

| <small>Requires access to the depth buffer and temporal data like motion-vectors so it is quite challenging and unlikely to be possible soon.<br />Besides any GPU that can use DLSS can run Dolphin at 8k native with ease anyway.</small>

| [[Texture packs]]

| {{✓}}<ref group=N2>Dolphin lets you dump game textures and replace game textures with new custom ones.{{Main|Texture packs#GameCube/Wii}}</ref>

| [[Wikipedia:24-bit_color#True_color_(24-bit)|True color]] rendering<br /><small>This is an enhancement that reduces banding by forcing the emulated hardware to the highest bitdepth possible. [https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2024/02/10/dolphin-progress-report-november-and-december-2023-january-2024/#50-20849-videocommon-apply-force-24-bit-color-to-efb-copies-by-flacs Read this] for more information. It is useful especially on non-CRT [[displays]], producing nicer looking gradients.</small>

| {{✓}}

| [[Widescreen_hacks#GameCube.2FWii|Widescreen and ultra-widescreen hack]]<br /><small>To get full native widescreen, try [[Homebrew and ROM hacks|Swiss]].<br />This can even run on a real GameCube/Wii if you wish.

| {{✓}}

|[https://blurbusters.com/frame-generation-essentials-interpolation-extrapolation-and-reprojection/ Frame generation technologies]<br /><small>([https://store.steampowered.com/app/993090/Lossless_Scaling/ LSFG], [https://github.com/NVIDIAGameWorks/Streamline/blob/main/docs/ProgrammingGuideDLSS_G.md DLSS-FG] and [https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5621/~/enabling-smooth-motion-in-nvidia-app SM], [https://www.techpowerup.com/316835/extrass-framework-paper-details-intels-take-on-frame-generation XeSS-FG], [https://community.amd.com/t5/gaming/amd-fluid-motion-frames-is-out-now-on-amd-radeon-rx-7000-series/ba-p/634372 AFMF] and [https://gpuopen.com/fidelityfx-super-resolution-3/#:~:text=Features-,Frame%20Generation,-Insert%20interpolated%20frames FSR FG])</small>

| <small>Implementing frame generation technology in an emulator is unfortunately quite challenging and unlikely to be possible soon however post-processing techniques such as [[Wikipedia:Motion_interpolation|motion interpolation]] is quite possible. [[Input_lag|Input latency]] will be a crucial factor, but its impact likely varies depending on the specific technique used, it is recommended to use '''after applying the "Internal Framerate Hack" and "skip presenting duplicate frames option"'''.<br />While '''{{YouTubeVideo|5mbUTfCRIF0|AFMF}}''' or '''LSFG''' can be used with Dolphin, please be aware some visual glitches and artifacts may occur at this time.

| [[30/60_FPS_cheat_codes#GameCube.2FWii|Internal frame rate hack]]

| {{✓}}

| [[Overclocking|Overclock]]

| {{✓}}

| Preload [[Wikipedia:Template:Disk_images|optical disc image]] to RAM<br/><small>For users with sluggish multi-platter HDDs or plagued by horrible seek times, this enhancement '''might''' offer smoother experience, potentially reduced power consumption; it also shines when disc images reside on a network drive.<br/>Although keep in mind that preloading image would take some time, and it will require additional amount of RAM capacity and is unnecessary for uncompressed images on Linux because Linux caches files.</small>

| {{✗}}[https://bugs.dolphin-emu.org/issues/11876 *]

| Rendering latency reduction technologies<br/><small>([https://github.com/ishitatsuyuki/LatencyFleX LatencyFleX], [https://developer.nvidia.com/performance-rendering-tools/reflex Reflex], {{YouTubeVideo|B4rBI5G1nNY|Xe-LL}} and [https://www.amd.com/en/products/software/adrenalin/radeon-software-anti-lag.html Anti-Lag'''+'''])

| <small>While most emulators offer frame pacing or framebuffer latency control options, implementing rendering latency reduction technologies isn't currently feasible. This is '''likely''' doesn't offer enough benefits to justify the development effort.</small>

|[[Shaders_and_filters#AI-powered filters|AI-powered filter compatible]]<br /><small>([https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/news/gfecnt/nvidia-freestyle-ansel-enhancements-geforce-experience-article/ Freestyle])</small>

| {{?}}

| [[Shaders_and_filters|Filters]]

| {{✓}}

|[[High_dynamic_range#Inverse_tone_mapping|Inverse tone mapping compatible]]

| {{✓}}[https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2024/04/30/dolphin-progress-report-february-march-and-april-2024/#hdr-enhancements-50-19931-add-autohdr-post-process-shader-by-filoppi-and-50-21232-add-hdr-to-metal-perceptual-hdr-by-samb *]

| [[Wikipedia:Category:Anti-aliasing_algorithms|Post-rendering anti-aliasing]]<br /><small>(FXAA, TXAA and MLAA/SMAA)</small>

| {{✓}}

| [[Wikipedia:Comparison_gallery_of_image_scaling_algorithms|Post-rendering scaling]]<br/><small>(Sharp bilinear, Lanczos and [[Wikipedia:GPUOpen#FidelityFX_Super_Resolution|FSR 1]])</small>

| {{✓}}

| [[Shader_Presets|Shader chain]]

| [https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin/pull/10362 WIP]<ref group="N2">Dolphin had a [https://forums.dolphin-emu.org/Thread-dolphinfx-post-processing-suite-for-the-opengl-backend?pid=497374#pid497374 DolphinFX] project for OpenGL backend, but it is now obsolete.</ref>

|Automatic emulated controller connect/disconnect<br/><small>Automatically connects or disconnects emulated controllers when a new or current controller is connected or disconnected.</small>

|{{Na}}

|Automatic region switching

| {{Dunno}}

|Automatic updater

| {{Ya}}

| [[Frontends#Graphical_User_Interfaces_.28GUIs.29|Big Picture Mode]]

| [https://forums.dolphin-emu.org/Thread-possible-to-add-a-big-picture-menu-screen-like-pcsx2-has WIP]

| Built-in [[Cheats_and_patches|cheat manager]]

| {{✓}}

| Built-in [http://fhttps://cadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,106405 custom resolution/CRTSwitchRes]<br /><small>For using this on Windows OS you need [https://geedorah.com/eiusdemmodi/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1009#p1009 CRT Emudriver].<br />Another option is using EDID editor tool such as "Custom Resolution Utility".</small>

| <small>Exclusive to [https://docs.libretro.com/guides/crtswitchres/ libretro core] at the moment.<br />Also, there is a [https://github.com/psakhis/Groovy_MiSTer project] for achieving software emulators like libretro cores and GroovyMAME send the raw RGB data over a network to a core running on MiSTer, it basically turns the MiSTer into a GPU for the emulator allowing for easy setup and use with CRT TVs/Arcade monitors.</small>

| Built-in [[Mods,_hacks_and_fan-translations#Built-in mod editor and manager for emulators|mod editor and manager]]

| {{~}}<ref group="N2">There is a pull request for adding [https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin/pull/12280 graphics mod editor/manager] to Dolphin. In the meantime, you can use [https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=Graphics_Mods Graphics Mods]; an exciting new feature introduced in 5.0-16763 that allows users to modify games through a method of defining targets and then applying actions to those targets. Currently, Dolphin supports three actions: Skip, Move, and Scale. These are modifications to the target groups. In addition to this, Dolphin has some built-in Graphics Mods that apply to certain target groups. These include "Native Bloom" - scaling the "Bloom" target group down to the correct resolution, "No Bloom" - skipping any texture labeled in the "Bloom" target group, and "No HUD" - skipping any textures under the target group of "HUD." You can define these or your own Target Groups in any game through using Dolphin's Texture Dumping tool or EFB dumping tools.</ref>

| Built-in [[Cheats_and_patches|patch manager]]

| {{?}}

|[[Save_converters|Built-in save manager]]

| {{?}}<ref group="N2">You can always use [[#Wii_System_Menu|Wii System Menu emulation]] capability of the emulator to manage your game saves.</ref>

| Command-line options

| {{✓}}

|[https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/High_and_low-level_emulation#Modern_Dependencies.2C_Advancements_and_Optimization_Strategies:~:text=Index%20databases%20or%20compatibility%20databases Index/Compatibility databases]<br/><small>Many modern emulators incorporate database-driven per-game overrides to apply targeted fixes or tweaks for quality-of-life (QoL) improvement without requiring users to manually edit global config files for each title. This approach allows quick, centralized application of workarounds for specific games, such as graphics fixes, timing adjustments, or compatibility flags, while keeping the emulator's default settings intact. This auto fix feature shouldn't be confused with "Per-game profiles" enhancement feature.</small>

| {{✓}}

| On-screen display<br /><small>Showcases messages, controller input state which is useful for speedrunners, performance data, active settings, and various notifications.</small>

| {{✓}}

|Pause/Resume emulation

| {{✓}}

| Per-game profiles

| {{✓}}

|[https://www.portablefreeware.com/faq.php#portable Portable] and [https://www.portablefreeware.com/faq.php#stealth stealth]<br /><small>Useful enhancement feature for non-personal computer use or plug-and-play scenarios. However, the software may still require the necessary [[Computer_specifications#Operating_System|prerequisites and dependencies]] for your operating system if it is not statically linked.</small>

| {{✓}}

| [[Save_disk_space_for_ISOs#GameCube_.2F_Wii|Streamable compression format]]

| {{✓}}

| [[Wikipedia:Variable_refresh_rate|Variable refresh rate compatible]]

| {{✗}}[https://forums.dolphin-emu.org/Thread-question-about-gsync-vrr *]

|Fast forward/Turbo speed

|{{✓}}

|[[Wikipedia:Macro_(computer_science)|Macros/Scripts]]/[https://tasvideos.org/LuaScripting Lua]

|{{✓}}

|[https://tasvideos.org/Movies Movie recording/playback]

|{{✓}}

|Frame step<br/><small>(forwards and backwards)</small>

|{{✗}}

|Rewind

|{{✗}}

|Save states

|{{✓}}

|[[Sound and audio#Ambient_sounds_simulation|Ambient sounds simulation]]<br/><small>Simulation of audio from original hardware and environments, such as mechanical hard drive, floppy diskette, and optical drive noises (e.g., head seeks, spin-up/down, tray loading, disc spinning, and clicking), variable CRT flyback transformer whine (the classic high-pitched "coil whine" that dynamically changes pitch based on screen brightness and content), arcade cabinet effects (e.g., fan hum or button rattles), and other background ambient noises.</small>

|{{Na}}

|[[Sound and audio#Audio filters and presets|Audio filters and presets]]<br/><small>Simulation of characteristic playback limitations and coloration of vintage consumer audio hardware, such as CRT television speakers, arcade cabinets, handheld consoles, early PC sound outputs, and low-fidelity integrated speakers. These filters are not intended to be perfectly accurate recreations, but rather to evoke the tonal qualities, distortion, bandwidth limits, resonance, and compression associated with 8-bit and 16-bit era devices. Examples include mono or narrow stereo output, reduced frequency response, speaker cone distortion, mild saturation, aliasing, and preset lo-fi profiles inspired by classic TVs, portable game systems, radios, and retro multimedia hardware.</small>

|colspan="1" |Exclusive to [https://github.com/RetroCrisis/Retro-Crisis-Audio-Filters libretro cores] at the moment.

| [[Wikipedia:Category:Debugging|Debug features]]

| {{✓}}

| [[Virtual_reality#VR_game_room_simulations|EmuVR support]]

|  Exclusive to [https://www.emuvr.net/wiki/Installation_Guide#Downloads libretro cores] at the moment.

| Free Look<br/><small>Free Look is an enhancement feature that allows manipulation of the in-game camera.</small>

| {{✓}}[https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=Free_Look *]

| [[Netplay#GameCube_.2F_Wii|Netplay]]<br/><small>This shouldn't be confused with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection emulation, see [[#Hardware features and peripherals]] section for that.</small>

| {{✓}}[https://dolphin-emu.org/docs/guides/netplay-guide/ *]

| [[RetroAchievements]]

| WIP[https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin/pulls?q=is%3Apr+is%3Aopen%2Bclosed+retroachievements+][https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2024/07/15/unlocked-retroachievements-come-dolphin/#wait-what-about-wii]

|Rich Presence (RPC)<br/><small>Allows the emulator to share real-time game session details (e.g., current game title, level, boss, playtime, or custom status) with external applications. This enables features such as displaying what you're playing on your profile, inviting friends to spectate, or triggering join-in-progress functionality where supported.</small>

|{{Ya}}[https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin/pull/6983]

|Screen translator<br /><small>Using optical character recognition (OCR) and other techniques, this feature can provide live translation of in-game text, text-to-speech for visually impaired users, and more — either on demand or automatically.</small></small>

|colspan="6" |You can use [https://docs.libretro.com/guides/ai-service/ RetroArch's AI Service] or the standalone offline [https://github.com/bquenin/interpreter bquenin's Interpreter].

==Hardware features and peripherals==

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;width:100%"

|+Please only include recommended emulators in this table. Do not bump or spam GitHub threads, issues, or feature request pages.<br/>''See [https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=Category:Input_supported this page] for peripheral support by titles.''

! colspan="4" style="width:50%" |Name

! Dolphin

| rowspan="10" |Hardware features

| colspan="3" |5.1 surround sound as Dolby Pro Logic II

|{{Ya}}[https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin/pull/5235 *]

| rowspan="2" |[[#Connectivity|Networking]]

| colspan="2" |[[Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection]]

|{{Ya}}

| colspan="2" |[[Nintendo_Wi-Fi_Connection#WiiConnect24|WiiConnect24]]

|{{Ya}}

| colspan="3" |Progressive scan

|{{Ya}}

| colspan="3" |SD card

|{{Ya}}

| rowspan="4" |[[Wikipedia:Wii_system_software|System software]]

| colspan="2" |[[#Backwards Compatibility|Backwards compatibility]]

|{{Na}}

| colspan="2" |[[Virtual Console]]

|{{Ya}}[https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=Virtual_Console *]

| colspan="2" |[[#Wii_System_Menu|Wii System Menu]]

|{{Ya}}[https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=Wii_Menu *]

| colspan="2" |[[wikipedia:List_of_WiiWare_games|WiiWare]]

|{{Ya}}

| colspan="3" |[[#Wii Optical Disc|Wii Optical Disc]]

|{{Na}}

| rowspan="24" |Peripherals

| rowspan="12" |Controllers (Wii Remote)

| colspan="2" |Classic Controller

|{{Ya}}

| rowspan="4" |Musical game controller

|''DJ Hero'' turntable

|{{Ya}}[https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=DJ_Hero#Turntable_Support *]

|Guitar

| {{Ya}}

|''Rock Band'' & ''Guitar Hero'' Drum Kit

|{{Ya}}

|''Taiko no Tatsujin'' Drum Controller

|{{Ya}}

| colspan="2" |NES Classic Edition controller

|{{Na}}

| colspan="2" |Nunchuk

|{{Ya}}

| colspan="2" |Shinkansen controller

|{{Ya}}

| colspan="2" |SNES Classic Edition controller

|{{Na}}

| rowspan="2" |Tablet

|Drawsome Tablet

|{{Ya}}[https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin/pull/8080 *]

|[[Wikipedia:UDraw_GameTablet#Games|uDraw GameTablet]]

|{{Ya}}[https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin/pull/7880 *]

| colspan="2" |[[List_of_console_games_that_support_motion_controls#Wii|Wii MotionPlus]]

|{{~}}

| colspan="3" |[[#DS_connectivity|DS connectivity]]

|{{Na}}[https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2021/02/11/dolphin-progress-report-december-2020-and-january-2021/#50-13447-ios-wd-and-ncd-fixes-by-leoetlino *]

| colspan="3" |GameCube controller

|{{Ya}}

| rowspan="8" |USB

|[[List_of_games_that_support_microphone|Logitech microphone]]

|{{Ya}}

|PDP Headbanger Chat Headset

|{{~}}<ref name="USBPass" group="lower-alpha">No support for emulating these peripherals (e.g. [https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=Your_Shape_featuring_Jenny_McCarthy Your Shape Camera]) but if you have the peripheral device you could use [https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=USB_Passthrough USB Passthrough]. Also, there is a [https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin/pull/11618 pull request] for adding Wireless Skateboard Controller emulation to Dolphin.</ref>

|Wii Speak

|{{Ya}}[https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin/pull/12769 *]

| colspan="2" |''Dance Dance Revolution'' Dance Mat

|{{Na}}

| colspan="2" |[[List_of_games_with_keyboard_and_mouse_support#Wii|Keyboard]]

|{{Ya}}

| rowspan="2" |[[Toys-to-life_emulation|Toys-to-life]]

|[[Toys-to-life_emulation#Disney_Infinity_Base|''Disney Infinity'' Base]]

|{{Ya}}

|[[Toys-to-life_emulation#Skylanders_Portal_of_Power|''Skylanders'' Portal of Power]]

|{{Ya}}

| colspan="2" |Ubisoft Your Shape Camera

|{{~}}<ref name="USBPass" group="lower-alpha" />

| colspan="3" |Wii Balance Board

|{{~}}<ref name="USBPass" group="lower-alpha" />

| colspan="3" |Wireless Skateboard Controller

|{{~}}<ref name="USBPass" group="lower-alpha" />

| rowspan="5" |Wii Remote features

| colspan="3" |Accelerometer

|{{Ya}}

| colspan="3" |Battery

|{{Ya}}

| colspan="3" |[[List_of_games_that_support_controller_speaker#Nintendo_Wii_Emulation|Built-in speaker]]

|{{Ya}}[https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2015/12/20/hey-listen-wiimoteaudio/ *]<ref group="lower-alpha">Plays through the system's default output device. Doesn't emulate on DualShock 4 or DualSense controllers.</ref>

| colspan="3" |[[List of console games that support infrared|IR sensor]]

|{{Ya}}

| colspan="3" |Rumble

|{{Ya}}

| rowspan="2" |Misc

|colspan="3" |[https://newqualitipedia.telepedia.net/wiki/Disc_scratch Disc scratch]<br /><small>Similar to cartridge tilting on cartridge-based systems, people intentionally scratch their discs to make a particular glitch work more reliably.</small>[https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/y1jdda/possibility_of_disc_scratch_emulation/]

|rowspan="2" | <small>No emulator currently includes built-in disc scratch simulation, as it would require [[High_and_low-level_emulation|low-level emulation]] of optical drive error correction, which is not implemented. As a workaround, you can try the external [https://github.com/redscientistlabs/RTCV Real-Time Corruptor (RTCV)] tool. It is a real-time memory/data corruption tool for inducing glitches during emulation, which might mimic some effects of a scratched disc (e.g., visual/audio artifacts or crashes). However, it is not a true "disc scratch" simulator, as it works on live memory rather than simulating physical disc read errors.</small>

|

|

|

===[[Wikipedia:Wii_Menu|Wii System Menu]]===

*Dolphin is capable of running the system menu. To get the system menu, one needs to use [http://www.wiibrew.org/wiki/BootMii BootMii] to dump the NAND of the Wii and import it. Refer to the [https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=NAND_Usage_Guide NAND usage guide on the Dolphin wiki] for more details. As of Dolphin 5.0-4588 version, it is possible to automatically get the System Menu, along with all other system software, by performing an online update (in the Tools menu).

*If you want to boot into the Wii Menu with selected disc image from your [[Frontends|frontend software]] rather than directly launching a game, use this command: -b -n 0000000100000002 -C Dolphin.Core.DefaultISO= — If you're using LaunchBox, make sure to check the option 'Remove space before ROM'.

:[https://wiibrew.org/wiki/BC WiiBrew: Backwards Compatibility]

Some Nintendo Wii models[https://old.reddit.com/r/wii/comments/qxho3x/which_nintendo_wii_is_backwards_compatible_usa/] are capable of reading the GameCube discs (as mentioned in [[#Wii Optical Disc]] section) and backwards compatible with its games.

*Dolphin emulator was originally a GameCube emulator and supports GameCube games. Dolphin emulator doesn't support the Wii's backward compatibility feature in the same way the physical console does. You cannot load a GameCube disc image from within the emulated Wii System Menu and have it function like a physical Wii. It is highly unlikely Dolphin supports the Wii's backwards compatibility mode feature in the near future.

*Virtual Wii supports GameCube games but due to incompatibility with Wii U's optical drive with GameCube discs, you need to use [[Homebrew and ROM hacks|homebrew]] solutions. See [https://old.reddit.com/r/wiiu/comments/vd9el0/if_a_wii_u_can_simulate_a_wii_and_a_wii_can_play/ this reddit thread] for more information.

===Wii Optical Disc===

The Wii Optical Disc (RVL-006) is the physical game medium for the Wii, created by Panasonic. Nintendo extended its proprietary technology to use a full size 12 cm, 4.7/8.54 GB DVD-based disc, retaining the benefits of the GameCube Game Disc, and adding the standard capacity of a double-layer DVD-ROM. Wii Discs always include a partition with files to update the Wii system software, which are installed before starting the game if needed. This ensures that systems that can't connect to the Internet are still updated. For the same reasons as the GameCube, the Wii can't play DVD-Videos or CDs. However, earlier Wiis can play DVD-Video using [[Homebrew and ROM hacks|homebrew]] such as WiiMC.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_optical_discs#Wii_Optical_Disc]

 

*Dolphin has support for Wii Optical Disc dumps/[[Save_disk_space_for_ISOs#GameCube_.2F_Wii|images]]. Most regular optical drives for PCs are unable to read GameCube & Wii discs. However, you can use some out-of-print models of DVD drives that may read GC and Wii discs but they are rare and primarily used for dumping the game data into an disc image file, and you need a compatible software tool to dump it. There is no passthrough support. See [[Ripping_games]] page for more information. On top of that, there is no support for DVD-Video if you plan to use Dolphin with WiiMC [[Homebrew and ROM hacks|homebrew]] software for DVD-Video.

*Virtual Wii has support for Wii Optical Disc ({{YouTubeVideo|4iaq_mKn7mE|demonstration}}). It can't play DVD-Videos though, but we don't know if it is possible to play DVD-Videos using Virtual Wii and [[Homebrew and ROM hacks|homebrew]] software (similar to earlier Wii models as mentioned above). According to some user reports, it is possible with using external optical drive[https://gbatemp.net/threads/full-dvd-playback-on-wiiu-vwii-wiimc-lg-drive.500189/].

*See [https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Copy_protection#:~:text=Emulation%20of%20the%20Disc%20Drive "Emulation of the Disc Drive" section] in [[Copy protection]] page.

* ''Mii Channel'' (a hidden feature that can be used in conjunction with a 3DS' Mii Maker application or some DS games)<ref>[[Wikipedia:Mii#Nintendo DS]]</ref>

Unlike [[GameCube_emulators#GC.2FGBA_Cable|GameCube/GBA connectivity]], this feature is still not yet emulated. While Dolphin does emulate the IOS modules for broadcasting and connecting to the Nintendo DS, there is no infrastructure to actually connect to any emulator or hardware unit.[https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=Nintendo_Channel#DS_Connection_Support] So in summary, neither [[Dolphin]] nor any [[Nintendo_DS_emulators#Connectivity|DS emulator]] supports this feature.

===Controllers===

====Wii Remote====

* '''Real Wiimote: ''' Controlled only with an actual, physical Wiimote connected to the PC with Bluetooth. You may need to hold 1+2 on the Wiimote before clicking "Pair" in Dolphin.

* '''Emulated Wiimote: ''' Controlled only with a keyboard or gamepad controls you set up in the configuration. Considering the motion controls were basic enough for the first Wiimote, there are just options to set the directions for "Tilt," "Swing," and "Shake." The IR sensor is mapped to the mouse by default, though the option to go toward the screen is empty by default but available for remapping. The Nunchuk has its own motion controls. Depending on the game, you can set up a few of these (typically, a button dedicated to shaking) and leave the rest empty. With presets, you can have each game use its own configuration. There are settings for sideways and vertical Wiimote positions.

* '''Hybrid Wiimote: ''' Allows for using both emulated controls and real Wiimote controls. It can be useful to control the IR pointer with a mouse in case there is no sensor bar. This feature has been removed since 5.0-7038.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2018/06/03/dolphin-progress-report-april-and-may-2018/#50-7038-remove-hybrid-wii-remote-by-josjuice |title = 5.0-7038 - Remove Hybrid Wii Remote by JosJuice}}</ref>

====Wii MotionPlus====

[https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2019/04/26/mastering-motion/ As of May 2019], Dolphin now includes the option for an emulated MotionPlus controller, though some minor issues remain, and configuration is still being figured out. A real Wii MotionPlus controller can also be used.

===''Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars''===

==Emulation issues==

* MVG: {{YouTubeVideo|4BlpONgj74A|How a pair of Tweezers defeated security on the Nintendo Wii}}, {{YouTubeVideo|F0EZQsFulJs|Homebrew Wars : Original Xbox vs Nintendo Wii}}, {{YouTubeVideo|VytQlGRq3jo|Online with the Nintendo Wii in 2019}}, {{YouTubeVideo|FHFuFuUFHagThe Nintendo Wii Shop is going offline forever. How to play WiiWare games in 2019}}, {{YouTubeVideo|hgMWtdayQxQ|Why did Nintendo Release the Wii MINI ? A look back}}, {{YouTubeVideo|rleF4f1dBVo|Hacking the Nintendo Wii Mini}}