Homebrew Retroarch Won’t Load...Help?!

[Drbadass]

New to Wii U Homebrew, figuring it out as I go.

I have a 128GB SD card formatted Fat32. Followed guide here wiiu hacks guide to set up my Wii U, got Haxchi working, got Homebrew channel working, can run some apps from there successfully.

However, when I try to run Retroarch, it goes to a black screen for about 10 seconds then pops me back to Homebrew channel.

I’ve tried:
- installing retroarch from Homebrew App Store
- installing retroarch from latest nightly build and copying onto SD card
- fixing retroarch install with manual copy of assets and bundle onto SD card
- removing temp/hidden files from SD card prior to eject

Oddly enough, on my Homebrew App Store menu, I have one icon for retroarch (not working) but then two icons for a commodore64 emulator that opens in retroarch. One of these two icons says “not enough memory” but the other one opens. Now that I fixed assets and bundles, it seems to work semi-properly.

Any and all help welcomed, thank you!!!

 

[Drbadass]

Found the Official Retroarch WiiU (wii.) thread here after posting sorry folks. Awesome thread, made real progress, chugging along now. Thanks to aliaspider and all else who contributed to that guide. Surprisingly a lot of bad/conflicting info out on the web about how to make this all work...this thread cleared it all up for me!

 

[JuanMena]

So... have you found the solution?

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

From my experience, the main retroarch file that you're "Supposed" to be using to load the homebrew doesn't work as intended. I tried using it which didn't work. The only way I got it to work was to load one of the cores (I used genesis plus gx) in place of the main loader. That managed to load retroarch as intended. After you do, you can set it up as intended. Loading "Retroarch.RPX" in homebrew loader would just do nothing. It's only after you load another core the same way first, would that change. After doing so, "Retroarch.rpx" would just load the last core used when starting the homebrew.

I don't know what the issue is or if it's overlooked, but the file itself is very small compared to all the cores it uses. So you better off just having at least one core installed to load from homebrew loader. SD/WIIU>APPS>"FOLDER" > Retroarch core emulator RPX. If you use the updater from retroarch, all future cores will be in the SD/Retroarch>Cores Folder which won't change how the emulator functions in the slightest.

Hope this helps, or least gets addressed by the developer.

 

[JuanMena]

From my experience, the main retroarch file that you're "Supposed" to be using to load the homebrew doesn't work as intended. I tried using it which didn't work. The only way I got it to work was to load one of the cores (I used genesis plus gx) in place of the main loader. That managed to load retroarch as intended. After you do, you can set it up as intended. Loading "Retroarch.RPX" in homebrew loader would just do nothing. It's only after you load another core the same way first, would that change. After doing so, "Retroarch.rpx" would just load the last core used when starting the homebrew.

I don't know what the issue is or if it's overlooked, but the file itself is very small compared to all the cores it uses. So you better off just having at least one core installed to load from homebrew loader. SD/WIIU>APPS>"FOLDER" > Retroarch core emulator RPX. If you use the updater from retroarch, all future cores will be in the SD/Retroarch>Cores Folder which won't change how the emulator functions in the slightest.

Hope this helps, or least gets addressed by the developer.

Is this true for Wii versions too?
Because I've been helping someone to use retroarch and 1.8.5 won't work for neither of us.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Is this true for Wii versions too?
Because I've been helping someone to use retroarch and 1.8.5 won't work for neither of us.

I can't say. I haven't use the wii version, only the wii u. Though I wouldn't be surprised if both of them got the same problem. Just somethings that I observed while using it. Honestly I haven't used retroarch until 1.8.5 since it seems the only supported emulator on wii u with updates.

 

[JuanMena]

I can't say. I haven't use the wii version, only the wii u. Though I wouldn't be surprised if both of them got the same problem. Just somethings that I observed while using it. Honestly I haven't used retroarch until 1.8.5 since it seems the only supported emulator on wii u with updates.

Ok.

I was about to make a whole thread about this because... I've tried 1.8.5, 1.8.4 and it doesn't work.
So I'm back to 1.7.5.

I just wanted to confirm that everyone else is having the same trouble with 1.8.5.

 

[cugel]

From my experience, the main retroarch file that you're "Supposed" to be using to load the homebrew doesn't work as intended. I tried using it which didn't work. The only way I got it to work was to load one of the cores (I used genesis plus gx) in place of the main loader. That managed to load retroarch as intended. After you do, you can set it up as intended. Loading "Retroarch.RPX" in homebrew loader would just do nothing. It's only after you load another core the same way first, would that change. After doing so, "Retroarch.rpx" would just load the last core used when starting the homebrew.

I don't know what the issue is or if it's overlooked, but the file itself is very small compared to all the cores it uses. So you better off just having at least one core installed to load from homebrew loader. SD/WIIU>APPS>"FOLDER" > Retroarch core emulator RPX. If you use the updater from retroarch, all future cores will be in the SD/Retroarch>Cores Folder which won't change how the emulator functions in the slightest.

Hope this helps, or least gets addressed by the developer.

Personally I just use the Wii U retroarch forwarder instead of going into the homebrew menu and that works fine.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Personally I just use the Wii U retroarch forwarder instead of going into the homebrew menu and that works fine.

I'm glad it works for you. But I don't know anything about a forwarder or how to set one up.

 

[cugel]

I'm glad it works for you. But I don't know anything about a forwarder or how to set one up.

It's the "unofficial Retroarch channel" in the op tutorial of the Retroarch thread. It's pretty easy to do.

 

[Drbadass]

Update from my end, I have everything working great now, on latest nightly build from libretro site. Some guidelines from my experience (trial by fire)

• There are a lot of tutorials out on the web that are wrong, they don’t work. Maybe they did at one point...but they don’t now, specifically now that know what steps I needed to follow to get this working.
  
• The tutorial on this forum was one of the best and that combined with the one at wiiu hacks guide we’re all I needed.
• None of the threads I read were very clear on exactly how to use Haxchi. Installing was easy but it just didn’t click for me of how I should be using it once installed (I’m slow). Once I figured out to boot into custom firmware by just clicking Haxchi and holding no buttons, all worked much better.
  
• Do not install Retroarch from Homebrew App Store. In my experience, just doesn’t work...download and copy to SD card manually per the guides
• The current Retroarch build loads a buggy gui, icons don’t line up right and the UI navigation wasn’t intuitive right off the bat. This didn’t help my confidence level once I actually got it to load. Switching to rgui made everything so much easier, it “just works” and allowed me to avoid any distraction while trying to get the actual emulators to work.
• The minute you are successfully in Retroarch, use the menu to update everything (database, assets, etc). This worked great.
  
• Getting each emulator to work requires their own tutorials and setup. Some were easy (Snes9x, etc) but some were very tricky (PrBoom, Etc). And some work...but they’re usefulness on a Wii U is up for debate depending on use case (DosBox without a keyboard)

Still exploring and having fun doing and I have 95% of it all working now (TyrQuake is only thing that doesn’t work). Great forum, has been the best tool so far in setting this up.

 

[Bhunt]

My retroarch never loads in homebrew after downloading from the app store. I am not sure how to fix this

 

[Drbadass]

My retroarch never loads in homebrew after downloading from the app store. I am not sure how to fix this

See my above post. In my experience, it doesn’t work from App Store. You have to follow the tutorial on this site that has you download it manually and copy it onto your SD Card.

 

[Bhunt]

Would you be able to provide the link to that tutorial?

 

[Drbadass]

Would you be able to provide the link to that tutorial?

I can’t post links yet, still on house arrest in the forums

But search the gbatemp forums for “Retroarch Wiiu wip.” This is like a 500+ page thread with all sorts of good info. The first few pages were where the tutorial was.

 

[Bhunt]

I have done what the forum asks and when I try to boot Retroarch from Hombrew it continues to bring me back to homebrew. i also have installed it on the homepage and it brings me back to the wii menu. Any suggestions?

 

[Drbadass]

I have done what the forum asks and when I try to boot Retroarch from Hombrew it continues to bring me back to homebrew. i also have installed it on the homepage and it brings me back to the wii menu. Any suggestions?

What method are you using to boot custom firmware before you try and run Retroarch? This is a key step to getting any mods to work and was not super clear in any tutorial I read. Browser exploit, Haxchi, or Cold Boot Haxchi?

 

[cugel]

I have done what the forum asks and when I try to boot Retroarch from Hombrew it continues to bring me back to homebrew. i also have installed it on the homepage and it brings me back to the wii menu. Any suggestions?

If it isn't a case of you needing to reload your exploit it sound to me like you don't have the right files in the right places.

 

[Drbadass]

For me, I did Haxchi and, like an idiot, I kept booting Haxchi holding down the A button...then Retroarch wouldn’t load, would go to black screen and then come back to Homebrew App Store in a few seconds, no dice. The minute I let Haxchi start custom firmware by holding nothing down while it started...worked just fine.

 

[Oo_Ice_Deep_oO]

Is this true for Wii versions too?
Because I've been helping someone to use retroarch and 1.8.5 won't work for neither of us.

I haven't been able to get this to work for the Wii so far. First and this might be obvious to the rest of you, but was news to me. The cores that are provided on the retroarch site are the same for the Wii and the WIIU. Same size to the bit. (I was using comparison tools to verify.

So when downloading from retroarch for the Wii, the zip file just has a folder of cores. Normally on the SD card we have a folder called apps (which all homebrew apps go into and a subfolder called retroarch or retroarch

Is this true for Wii versions too?
Because I've been helping someone to use retroarch and 1.8.5 won't work for neither of us.

I am having trouble with Retroarch 1.8.5 for the Wii as well. Downloading the zip from retroarch, all it had in it was a folder called cores. This is different from the past and I am not sure fully what to do with it. The Wii U and Wii cores are identical to the bit. (Surprise for me, but others here might have known this). So, what to do with all of these cores? In the past you have a boot.dol which is the main retroarch loader for homebrew and it let's you load the other cores in (or you could start with a single core if you knew how, but even if I change the core names to boot.elf and put them in their own failure. Some of them black screen, some don't show up, some return right back to the homebrew menu and one even says this is not a wii homebrew application after homebrew tries to load it. So, if anyone actually knows how to make these work I would be surprised, something is wrong with the files provided in download, either they are the wrong files or there are pieces missing.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

I haven't been able to get this to work for the Wii so far. First and this might be obvious to the rest of you, but was news to me. The cores that are provided on the retroarch site are the same for the Wii and the WIIU. Same size to the bit. (I was using comparison tools to verify.

So when downloading from retroarch for the Wii, the zip file just has a folder of cores. Normally on the SD card we have a folder called apps (which all homebrew apps go into and a subfolder called retroarch or retroarch



I am having trouble with Retroarch 1.8.5 for the Wii as well. Downloading the zip from retroarch, all it had in it was a folder called cores. This is different from the past and I am not sure fully what to do with it. The Wii U and Wii cores are identical to the bit. (Surprise for me, but others here might have known this). So, what to do with all of these cores? In the past you have a boot.dol which is the main retroarch loader for homebrew and it let's you load the other cores in (or you could start with a single core if you knew how, but even if I change the core names to boot.elf and put them in their own failure. Some of them black screen, some don't show up, some return right back to the homebrew menu and one even says this is not a wii homebrew application after homebrew tries to load it. So, if anyone actually knows how to make these work I would be surprised, something is wrong with the files provided in download, either they are the wrong files or there are pieces missing.

Wow, so all my trouble last night and after I posted this, I went back to retroarch and redownloaded. The download is completely different. It has everything that it was missing before. I will let you guys know what happens after I do some tests.