Hacking Idea: When Wii U is hacked, port a Wii emulator to it for HD Wii gaming

[Maxternal]

all ps3 with cfw can run ps2 games. That games need to be converted to CLASSIC ps2 games. that method is called PS2 Classic Placeholder PKG R3
now ALL ps3 (modded with cfw) can run ps1,ps2,ps3 and soon psp backup (as minis)

as far as I understand it, that's just because it had built in emulators for those platforms. It's like the Wii's Virtual Console. Sure you're downloading the complete, original ROM file but it comes packed with en emulator because the Wii can't run them natively like the original console did.

 

[Rydian]

didn't vWii stand for virtual wii?
vWii wasn't an emulator all along?
HACK WII U IN WIIMODE PLEASE!

Unlike other systems with backwards compatibility, the Wii's system menu played a big part in it's use, which is why it was included.

Compare this with the Wii's backwards compatibility with the Gamecube. The Gamecube didn't do much of anything other than play discs, so they added the GC memory card management to the Wii software and that's about it, they're done since the Wii software included everything the GC needed and more. There was no need to keep the GC's system menu around.

It's the same sort of thing with most backwards compatibility. Either the "home" software of the other system wasn't included because at the time it was simple enough that the new stuff did it all, or there was no "home" software at all.

Now, the exact details of how vWii works isn't clear to me, because there's virtualization and hardware fallback (we know it's not full-on emulation) and it could be either as far as I know.

all ps3 with cfw can run ps2 games. That games need to be converted to CLASSIC ps2 games. that method is called PS2 Classic Placeholder PKG R3
now ALL ps3 (modded with cfw) can run ps1,ps2,ps3 and soon psp backup (as minis)

Which is why I only mentioned Sony's official attempts, since they stopped including that stuff in a user-usable format after a while.

 

[trumpet-205]

all ps3 with cfw can run ps2 games. That games need to be converted to CLASSIC ps2 games. that method is called PS2 Classic Placeholder PKG R3
now ALL ps3 (modded with cfw) can run ps1,ps2,ps3 and soon psp backup (as minis)

Now that's emulation, because PS1, PS2, and PSP are all in MIPS. PS3 is Cell, not MIPS. So either emulation like PS2 classics which translates MIPS to Cell, or hardware backward compatibility like early PS3 Phat which added actual PS2 chips onto PS3.

Wii U and Wii are neither. Since they all use PowerPC 750, they can run the code natively with minor software support.

The vWii mode already outputs Wii games at HD resolutions, the problem is that it does not make use of the Wii U's anti-aliasing and anti-isotropic filtering, which is why Wii games look rough and pixelated on an HD TV.

Wii games are still rendered in 480p then stretched to 1080p. The reason people are saying that vWii looks good is because it can do HDMI output from the source (no signal degradation).

Similar approach is used on PS3 and Xbox 360, renders the game in 720p then stretched to 1080p. I don't know about Xbox 360 but PS3 do apply some basic upscaling filters to it.

Nothing beats having TV or receiver doing upscaling for you, unless you plan to invest $600+ video upscaler.

 

[Rydian]

Wii games are still rendered in 480p then stretched to 1080p. The reason people are saying that vWii looks good is because it can do HDMI output from the source (no signal degradation).

No degradation is good, but on the other hand this approach makes the jaggies more visible which irks some people.

 

[the_randomizer]

Now that's emulation, because PS1, PS2, and PSP are all in MIPS. PS3 is Cell, not MIPS. So either emulation like PS2 classics which translates MIPS to Cell, or hardware backward compatibility like early PS3 Phat which added actual PS2 chips onto PS3.

Wii U and Wii are neither. Since they all use PowerPC 750, they can run the code natively with minor software support.


Wii games are still rendered in 480p then stretched to 1080p. The reason people are saying that vWii looks good is because it can do HDMI output from the source (no signal degradation).

Similar approach is used on PS3 and Xbox 360, renders the game in 720p then stretched to 1080p. I don't know about Xbox 360 but PS3 do apply some basic upscaling filters to it.

Nothing beats having TV or receiver doing upscaling for you, unless you plan to invest $600+ video upscaler.

I hope you're joking. Wii games upscaled via HDTV doesn't look any better, in fact, it looks worse. Then again that might be due me using component vs HDMI. And yes, component supports up to 1080p.

 

[Rydian]

Well there's a difference between what looks good, and what's clear. Clarity looks better to some people, but then you can also see the imperfections in the original data such as jaggies, which looks bad to others.

 

[the_randomizer]

Well there's a difference between what looks good, and what's clear. Clarity looks better to some people, but then you can also see the imperfections in the original data such as jaggies, which looks bad to others.

Exactly, if I wanted my Wii games to be 1080p, I'd use Dolphin. At least they look a lot crisper that way.

On a regular Wii (using component), the games look fine, but playing the same games on the same cable/TV on the Wii U, they look duller.

 

[trumpet-205]

On a regular Wii (using component), the games look fine, but playing the same games on the same cable/TV on the Wii U, they look duller.

On regular Wii, signal is 480p, your HDTV is doing the upscaling (stretching) to 720/1080p. On Wii U, console itself does it instead.

HDTV cannot display 480i/p on its own. If your HDTV has max resolution of 720p, then everything on your screen is 720p, vice versa for 1080p. HDTV has to upscale the video to max resolution before it can display it.

 

[Foxi4]

Okay seriously, that shit is fucking annoying. Let's be honest, PS4? Upgraded PS3. Xbox 360? Just an upgraded Xbox.

Uhh, no.

The PS4 has a completely different architecture compared to the PS3, so does the XBox 360 compared to the original XBox. The WiiU on the other hand has a CPU with cores based on the exact same technology as Gekko and Broadway and a compatible GPU - it's is a pimped-up Wii and much as the Wii was a pimped up Gamecube. Putting more cores on the same silicone doesn't change the fact that they're only slightly altered, all for the sake of native Backwards Compatibility.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

Uhh, no.

The PS4 has a completely different architecture compared to the PS3, so does the XBox 360 compared to the original XBox. The WiiU on the otherhand has a CPU with cores based on the exact same technology as Gekko and Broadway and a compatible GPU - it's is a pimped-up Wii and much as the Wii was a pimped up Gamecube.

PS4 is just an upgraded PS3 and the Xbox 360 is just an upgrade Xbox.

 

[Foxi4]

PS4 is just an upgraded PS3 and the Xbox 360 is just an upgrade Xbox.

Explain. From a hardware standpoint, the PS4 literally has nothing in common with the PS3 and the Xbox 360 has nothing in common with the Xbox.

 

[Maxternal]

I think somebody's trolling now.

 

[Ray Lewis]

Galaxy S3 is upgraded S2..."No, actually different processors...while more powerful it is not a simple upgrade...your phone is z simple upgrade." I see that as being this silly. Same naming convention and upgraded specs. Who the f%c7 cares about splitting hairs. All gaming companies released upgraded systems. "Will" since that would become a discussion. It is relative. What was this thread about again?

 

[Rydian]

I see that as being this silly. Same naming convention and upgraded specs. Who the f%c7 cares about splitting hairs.

Well apparently you didn't read the first post then, because the OP's question DOES revolve around how exactly the console achieves backwards compatibility to know what sort of changes are possible.

 

[the_randomizer]

On regular Wii, signal is 480p, your HDTV is doing the upscaling (stretching) to 720/1080p. On Wii U, console itself does it instead.

HDTV cannot display 480i/p on its own. If your HDTV has max resolution of 720p, then everything on your screen is 720p, vice versa for 1080p. HDTV has to upscale the video to max resolution before it can display it.

Still looks worse than on the Wii itself. I'd rather play Wii games on the Wii.

 

[Bladexdsl]

whats it look like using a hdmi cable?

 

[trumpet-205]

Still looks worse than on the Wii itself. I'd rather play Wii games on the Wii.

That's why I said it is better to let TV or AV receiver do the upscaling (you thought I was joking when I said TV upscaling is better). When you use original Wii, your TV or AV receiver does that.

When you use vWii found in Wii U, Wii U does it instead. Since TV gets 1080p signal already, TV won't do any upscaling and just output it straight.

 

[the_randomizer]

That's why I said it is better to let TV or AV receiver do the upscaling (you thought I was joking when I said TV upscaling is better). When you use original Wii, your TV or AV receiver does that.

When you use vWii found in Wii U, Wii U does it instead. Since TV gets 1080p signal already, TV won't do any upscaling and just output it straight.

And there's nothing I can do to change that. If I really wanted upscaling, I'd use Dolphin.

 

[JoostinOnline]

That's a terrible idea. It wouldn't be able to run a single game. A GC emulator is the most the Wii U could run. I'm not sure if GC Virtual Console was ever confirmed though.

 

[Maxternal]

If you're talking to OP, I agree (although if GC VC were to happen, I'd bet it would be in a Devolution style virtual machine rather than an emulator.)

If you were talking to [user]the_randomizer[/user] I think he means he'd use Dolphin on a PC