Hacking Softmod Vs Hardware Mod

[Mantis41]

Which is best Softmod or Hardware mod?

Softmod Advantages.
Everything works
Easily updated
Do not need to disassemble
Can probably still claim warranty after removing
Does not cost anything
Did I mention everything works.

Hardware Mod Advantages.
Um.........
Errr...................
Its a ................ No that’s not it.
You don't have to...... Oh actually you probably do.

I will probably need some help with this one, as you have probably guessed I can't work out why on earth you would pay £40 for a mod chip when it can be done for free.

 

[WalkerOfTheDay]

Only advantage I can think of is 6 x dvd reading.

But with the USB-loader you get way faster speed than that !

 

[K3G4]

Haha. I think you answered the question yourself. But I do think that softmods are probably more for people like me who don't know anything about opening up the wii.

 

[HiBit]

Softmod Advantages.

You can use a hard disc/usb stick
You can use Homebrew
...
...

You know the reasons for an softmod, and if you spend some time and if your games work(check it here: http://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/index.php/USB_Launcher_v1) it's a great deal.

 

[s3phir0th115]

I would go the softmod route due to reduced cost, homebrew capability, and usb loading. I'm not sure about warranty, but that is probably an advantage as well.

 

[rasputin]

Hardmod has x6 speed for the disc channel.

You can install cios's and loaders along side a hard mod as long as you don't install anything to affect the disc channel like
?preloader/cioscorps? etc.

Having a hard mod myself and watching everyone on softmods struggling to get WSR to work on release made me glad to have a chip....especially all that save file mabolax, whats that all about ?

 

[wchill]

Actually, for Drivekey and Wasabi DX, I think it's only 3x speed. Don't really know why...

 

[Elritha]

Softmod Advantages.
Everything works

Surely that one should be in the hardware mod. I've heard some games don't work properly on a soft modded wii. My wii is hardware modded and every game I have thrown at it works. Now if I had a choice again, I'd choose software, but back when I modded my Wii it wasn't an option.

 

[WiiPower]

Hardmod offers 6x reading, being easy as..., 100% compatibilty, 100% GC compatibilty and also should be future proof. But only under the following conditions:
- you have a really really good modchip(don't know if there's any in this category)
- you only play games from the correct region
- you do not patch discs in ANY way

The problem with most people with modchips is that they miss at least one of these conditions, and then it's as complicated as softmodding.

 

[Wabsta]

When I modded my wii, it wasn't possible to softmod it yet.
Well, the first beta of the first backup loader was out, but I didn't bother to try it.

I just wanted a stable mod, where I can just update whenever I want, without having to install all this IOS stuff.

Advantage on hardware mod:
It works perfectly.

 

[OtakuGamerZ]

Softmod is free and it works. That's good enough reason to go with it. As for the modchip x6 disk speed. I don't use disks. I use the USB loader and that's faster than any disk loading.

 

[Reboot]

Softmod = free
'nuff said

 

[Wabsta]

Softmod = free
'nuff said

No it isn't, you still have to buy discs and/or a HDD.

 

[Dan_Aykroyd]

Both. They working together are as great as it gets. You have the versatility of softmodding (updates, constant improvements, new features) + with a chip you get 100% usability working native from the Disc Channel.

 

[aN4rK1]

The other thing I can think of for hardware mod is that it will load DVD+R's
Also, is it possible to have both?

 

[Mantis41]

Great thanks for the info.
I already have softmod with a HDD. I was just curious to know the advantages of a mod chip.
Gamecube support would be a plus, there are some great games out there, then again I can probably pick them up on ebay for a couple of pounds each, now... if I could only load them onto the HDD. I believe this is a near technical impossibility.

 

[WiiPower]

The other thing I can think of for hardware mod is that it will load DVD+R's
Also, is it possible to have both?

That's not an advantage of hardmod over softmod.

And to answer your question: If you don't understand it and are not able to answer it yourself, stick to your modchip.

 

[Reboot]

Softmod = free
'nuff said

No it isn't, you still have to buy discs and/or a HDD.

No... you dont ... thats an option though, if you want, not required.
They are called VC and wiiware and do not require any purchases (if you have an SD card)

And if your like me, you already have a 100 pack of dvd-r's lying around, that have already more then paid themselves off prior to the wii experience.

 

[OtakuGamerZ]

Softmod = free
'nuff said

No it isn't, you still have to buy discs and/or a HDD.

No... you dont ... thats an option though, if you want, not required.
They are called VC and wiiware and do not require any purchases (if you have an SD card)

And if your like me, you already have a 100 pack of dvd-r's lying around, that have already more then paid themselves off prior to the wii experience.

yaa and what do the modchip people use for burned discs. The Mod is free, and the discs are cheap.

 

[aN4rK1]

The other thing I can think of for hardware mod is that it will load DVD+R's
Also, is it possible to have both?

That's not an advantage of hardmod over softmod.

And to answer your question: If you don't understand it and are not able to answer it yourself, stick to your modchip.

I understand softmodding enough to get 3 wii's modded so far. I also understand hardmodding enough to mod two OTHER wiis with D2C2 chips.
I have never tried both and though id ask, no need to be hostile.