The ability to use 2 GamePads on one console has existed, but never been utilized officially. This tutorial will show how to use this via an Aroma plugin! (In Wii U Games)

Fair warning: This plugin is still in beta and is extremely buggy. It WILL slow down the console when active, the GamePads are prone to disconnecting, and performance mode ONLY works if the second GamePad is in the quick start menu.

Step 1: Download the plugin Dual U here: https://github.com/tech-will/Dual-U and place the "wiiu" folder inside the root of your SD Card (Root refers to just the main area of your SD card, not inside any folders)

Step 2: Boot up your Wii U Console with the newly added plugin and begin the pairing process for the second Wii U GamePad.

Step 3: Enable the plugin and reboot the console through the plugin (There is an option if you scroll down to reboot, it should always be used after enabling / disabling it)

Step 4: Turn on your second GamePad, and congratulations! Both should get a video stream! As well as controller support for the second GamePad (it fakes a pro controller iirc)

Performance Mode

Performance Mode is one of the other buggy aspects of this. It ONLY works if the second gamepad is in the quick start menu. This is a problem because if say, you needed to constantly use the A button, you might press a user in the quick start menu then the GamePad disconnects.

Also, it can be difficult to set up due to after unpairing this second GamePad, sometimes it just entirely loses the Quick Start Menu.

But if you REALLY want to try setting it up, here is a tutorial

Step 1: Pair the gamepad you want to be the second one, and after pairing, turn off the console and let the Wii U send quick start menu data while its in standby mode (indicated by a yellow light)

Step 2: Once done, turn the Wii U back on and disconnect the GamePad you just paired by getting it out of range of the console (basically just turn the console on but dont have the GamePad connected)

Step 3: Hold the SYNC button on the Wii U Console and get to the GamePad pairing screen. Pair the gamepad you want to be the first, while the second GamePad you paired earlier is not connected

Im unsure of exactly what I did next but try either:

Step 4: Enable the Dual U Plugin and try connecting the second gamepad while performance mode is enabled. your second GamePad should still be in the quick start menu but it will still send inputs

Or:

Step 4: Pair your second Wii U GamePad using the plugin then immediately turn it off when done pairing. Then just enable the plugin with performance mode on and see if it works (Quick start menu should send inputs to the console.)

Other Notes

This plugin can also tend to make the Aroma menu difficult to enter, often giving an error "Unable to render the config menu". There are 2 important keybinds so you can still change modes when you aren't able to access the menu.
- Press left stick and right stick together to change the controller mode between Seperate and Mirrored. (Mirrored acts as the same controller for both Wii U gamepads)
- Press Right D-Pad and Y button to switch video source for GamePad 2between Gamepad and TV.

And also, as said above:

Dual U also supports having the second GamePad's video stream be the TV video. This can be useful if say, you were playing Mario Tennis and both players wanted a seperate view on each of their GamePads.

And also the input for GamePad 2 being either seperated (Will be a pro controller), or mirrored (GamePad 2 has the same controls as GamePad 1), and it isnt 2 seperate controllers.

 

[Exnor]

4 players with 3 gamepad + 1 TV are my dream.

I hope Switch U won't fail as Wii U.

One of the reasons i bought my Wii U, back when was released, was the gamepad.

I even got the game Tank Tank Tank to play with my friends since it used the gamepad as an independent 2nd player screen, and it was fun.

Back then i was waiting for the support for a 2nd U gamepad, to be able to play games with 3 local screens and 2 friends . Sadly Nintendo gave up the idea.
It would have been really cool to be able to play games that way.

I hope someone figures a way to run 3 Doom seasons on one machine with 2 Wii U gampads + tv . That would be really something incredible .

 

[awesomeee]

I hope someone figures a way to run 3 Doom seasons on one machine with 2 Wii U gampads + tv . That would be really something incredible .

Maybe one day. Would be very fun

In the meantime if any retroarch core supports doom you can technically do one screen multiplayer with 2 gamepads lol

Sadly both people have to look at a single splitscreen but might be interesting

 

[awesomeee]

UPDATE: I believe a recent Aroma update makes this obsolete? Something about beta 26 and plugins must be compiled on that version.

However, there is a new, safer alternative in beta called Dual U (fair warning: still extremely buggy and in beta, and slows down the console a lot) https://github.com/tech-will/Dual-Uhttps://github.com/tech-will/Dual-U

Taking the guide down for now and will replace it eventually