Hardware So i made this ON/OFF switch on my Wii U gamepad...

[MetoMeto]

Yeah.....so i couldn't sleep last night. So i was thinking what could i do,
so i told my self:
"why wouldn't i make a ON / OFF switch on a Wii U game-pad screen!" So i did!

Why ON / OFF switch you ask?
Well its pretty simple actually!

Boring Text:

Spoiler

Because it was fun first of all, and second It's because the Wii U game-pad (as i noticed and was shocked that Nintendo didn't do anything about it) never turns OFF!
yeah i know, i was shocked also!!
And also because i like to minimize radiation in my room, so i don't like gamepad blasting me with protons...many things do, so this at lest i can control.

I mean it seems like it's off, but you see, what is actually happening is that it just turns the screen off and enter into some sort of
stand-by mode to "conserve" energy?.........Yeah suuure...it "conserves" so much that whenever i leave it for day or two it's almost empty,
even though it was FULL when i last left it! So i was like "what the heck! is my battery bad?! No way!"

So i searched the internet world and on a nintendo page (i think it was a forum) there actually was an answer like...it cant be completely turned off
it needs to stay in stand-by mode to constantly comunicate with the console (Wii U) so its always ready to turn on the TV or the Wii U it self (if its plugged in wall outlet ofc)
But even if its NOT plugged in outlet the gamepad is a beast of its own damn it, its always "alive". i Mean i could just take out the battery but its a drag!

So i was like...why wont i make a switch (the actual switch not the console)!
So now whenever i'm finished playing i just flick a switch and it actually cuts off supply of power from the battery...PHYSICALLY! So the next time i turn it on it's actually how i left it
and not half empty or blinking so its about to turn off WHICH WAS SUPER ANNOYING!

Seriously, Nintendo couldn't make that function them self?!

Anyway, here are some pics...it's not the prettiest thing in the world, and it was also 3 in the morning so...yeah...
Yeah i could probably use some super-glue but i trust strong physical connections more, and also it could be taken out if its ever faulty.

I didn't do pictures inside of it, my brain was like "come on i'm tired, finish it off already!" and i was like "shut up brain, i need to concentrate" and when i screwed the screws i was like
"damn i forgot to take pics while i was doing!" so yeah...i just took when it was finished.

I'll post them here when i bother to open it up again.

Anyway, here they are (i know modern age spoiled us to have the best
quality pics, but you'll just gonna haf to live with low quality pics for now )

The Pictures:

Spoiler

There is a lot of room inside where the button is actually! If you want you could put bigger one or a push button. I was thinking about a push button but i was impatient to make one and was bored so...
But also i'm not sure if that will work the best since i guess i could accidentaly press it? itk perhaps some with greater resistance would be ok, and besides its never touching the floor when layed down on a table so i guess its ok to have push button..ill think about it.

 

[Lostbhoy]

Awesome idea and execution! You should make a quick tutorial for others to attempt this as it really is a great idea!

 

[MetoMeto]

Awesome idea and execution! You should make a quick tutorial for others to attempt this as it really is a great idea!

Thanks i appreciate it really!

Perhaps i will i just don't know if Nintendo will be happy about it LoL.
But seriously, is it really OK if i DO make a tutorial about modifying Nintendo's console considering how they are lately?

As for The switch it self...well now that i think about it, this actually saves the battery life also, cause its not constantly
charging on a cradle and emptying, the battery can actually rest, thus lasting longer, having longer life overall!

 

[Schneiderus]

So nice! As @Lostbhoy said, a quick tutorial would be appreciated!

 

[Lostbhoy]

I'd say go for it if you have the time!! There's a tutorial in here already regarding the installation of an internal hard drive for extra storage space so I'd say there's no problem with it.

Again, it's a great idea as the 'always on' battery consumption always annoyed me too. I'd love to give it a try!

 

[MetoMeto]

I'd say go for it if you have the time!! There's a tutorial in here already regarding the installation of an internal hard drive for extra storage space so I'd say there's no problem with it.

Again, it's a great idea as the 'always on' battery consumption always annoyed me too. I'd love to give it a try!

Well sure than, if it's OK than ill post it one of these days.

Oh WOW i had to see that tutorial about internal space mod! Can you please share the link here?

 

[Lostbhoy]

https://gbatemp.net/threads/wii-u-hdd-installation-guide.556388/

 

[duwen]

Great idea!
I'd be tempted to implement it in a more hidden fashion... perhaps have a push button that's activated at the bottom of the stylus slot.

 

[MetoMeto]

When i use HID to VPAD to connect my PS2 controller and turn off the gamepad with the switch, the game cant be played with a controller. Any iedeas?

 

[Lostbhoy]

Hmmmm, an "actual" reason why the gamepad is always on then!

My guess would be that one would have to write a patch or plugin in order for the console to keep the Bluetooth module live once the gamepad is turned off??

If that's true and a possible would be fix, I'm unsure it could even be implemented then as i dont believe we have that kind of access but possibly the author of the patch for HBL to be used without gamepad could help??

 

[MetoMeto]

Hmmmm, an "actual" reason why the gamepad is always on then!

My guess would be that one would have to write a patch or plugin in order for the console to keep the Bluetooth module live once the gamepad is turned off??

If that's true and a possible would be fix, I'm unsure it could even be implemented then as i dont believe we have that kind of access but possibly the author of the patch for HBL to be used without gamepad could help??

Keep in mind that i use HID to VPAD app to connect my DualShock2 controller via USB to Wii U. Im not sure if official pro controller works without the gamepad though since i dont have one to test. perhaps someone who has it cah confirm this by unpluging the battery and try to use the Console, but i cant till i dont get one...but i probably wont cause that defeats the purpose of wired controller haha pro controller is wireless.
To bad nintendo never made corded controller though.

As for not working...well it kinda works, but the controlls just lock when ipress the putton onPS2 controller. Idk if its a glitch in code, perhaps someone should note the developer of the hit2vpad app about it. I would really like to play games with gamepad turned off (buttery unpluged) i really dont need it except to set up hid2vpad it self initially lol.

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

5 Ghz WiFi (what the gamepad uses to communicate with the console) can't and won't harm you. If it were harmful to humans, or really any life form, do you really think that the FCC (and probably the FDA maybe?) would allow it to be used? Probably not. Besides, I'm pretty sure a banana would have a higher chance of giving you radiation poisoning

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oh and btw you can use wiimotes without the gamepad (e.g. it's dead and the charger broke) but you still need it for the inital set up

 

[MetoMeto]

5 Ghz WiFi (what the gamepad uses to communicate with the console) can't and won't harm you. If it were harmful to humans, or really any life form, do you really think that the FCC (and probably the FDA maybe?) would allow it to be used? Probably not. Besides, I'm pretty sure a banana would have a higher chance of giving you radiation poisoning

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oh and btw you can use wiimotes without the gamepad (e.g. it's dead and the charger broke) but you still need it for the inital set up

I never said it would harm, but there are studies about it. Non ionising radiation is not all roses and honey. I know from what i read that it has acumulative effects, and since its relatively young thing and we are more than ever surounded by it, the time will tell what are the effects. They also stated that there is a level of absorption as you can see on any mobile phone, since living tissue absorbs the radiation and heats it up.

But thats beyoned the topic of this thread... but thank you for commenting. The way i see it is that people should consciouly use tech, and not jst because its convinient.
Maany people had cancers from years and years of usin microwaves, living near transmition lines, and perhaps they wont kill you like ionizing radiation, but some consequences can occure imho. Also i think it depends on person to person and their predispositions that they already have, where it could trigger it.

To be fair, even the radiation from sun is harmfull. And as for banana i can agree, they are dangerous if you choke on it! thts a nasty thing! Eat carefully please!

As for the 5GHz antena, i saw its 5GHz but im interesting to see some readings of radiation and effects on a living tissue like they to with cellphones.

 

[huma_dawii]

Really good idea!

 

[Lostbhoy]

I can confirm that the pro controller works when gamepad is totally dead as I played botw for a while without the gamepad as the left joystick would drift like mad so for a few weeks i didnt touch the gamepad until i got a replacement thumbstick and repaired it myself.

As for hid2vpad, I've never used it and unfortunately unfamiliar with exactly how it works. My post earlier was more thinking aloud but really guessing!!

 

[Jaxom]

I really like this mod, simple and useful, as everything should be. Congratulations!

If I can add a little suggestion, the day you'll be motivated to make a tutorial on how to do it, I'll surely make a little change on the positionning and the switch itself by using a GBA on/off switch on the bottom of the gamepad (because I really like the feeling of that button, like a retro fetishist ).

 

[MetoMeto]

I really like this mod, simple and useful, as everything should be. Congratulations!

If I can add a little suggestion, the day you'll be motivated to make a tutorial on how to do it, I'll surely make a little change on the positionning and the switch itself by using a GBA on/off switch on the bottom of the gamepad (because I really like the feeling of that button, like a retro fetishist ).

Thanks for that!

Yeah, thats an excellent idea, although im not sure about the space. I know that that place where i placed the switch has A LOT free space to spare and i kinda worked late at nighs with what i found in my tool box so i guess it could have been better and prettier...Perhaps i would one day replace the case and make it again with GBA switch i like that!

 

[MikaDubbz]

Nice, if Padcon weren't a thing, I might be interested in such a mod myself.

 

[MetoMeto]

Pad..what?

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After using it with controller OFF (on a switch ofc!) every time i dont play it, weather i go to the bathroom, in a store, or just turn off the console, my controller just refuse to be empty lol, i cant remember when is the last time i charged it.

 

[Der_Blockbuster]

Doesn't it just emit photons not protons?