Wii U Gamepad Clone - Development Vlog 9
Added 2025-10-04 09:00:37 +0000 UTCTurns out there was more I had to say, but now it's really time to grind on the public video...
Comments
Retrospectively, this video became dev vlog 8, I've renamed it now to become easier to find: https://www.patreon.com/posts/wii-u-gamepad-8-130670393
MattKC
2025-10-30 07:29:41 +0000 UTCUh, where's dev vlog 8? Am i missing something?
UnidentifiedFlyingOctogon
2025-10-29 22:47:57 +0000 UTClove the UI
Nathan Hernandez
2025-10-26 21:51:43 +0000 UTCI just tried it on my v1 Switch (after using it on Steam Deck before; see comment below) and installed Ubuntu 24.04 just for this purpose :) It works surprisingly well after applying the Wifi patches, so kudos for this! I had to slightly change the default controller mapping but once I did it worked great. Unfortunately my v1 Switch is on its last legs (the fan either refuses to run so it overheats fast or sometimes it works but likes to scream :)). Still a minimal Linux distro that has the Wifi patches already applied and maybe just automatically starts Vanilla from Hekate (or something similar) could actually be a nice thing to have eventually. Also I personally don't necesseraly need to use Vanilla, as I have 2 WiiUs with two working gamepads (though one of them has a defective rumble motor, but otherwise works fine). but nevertheless it's really impressive how well it works and honestly it looks really nice on modern LCD screens like the Switch of the Steam Deck despite its quite low resolution
Christian B
2025-10-11 19:38:42 +0000 UTCMaybe you could also make the background process check if the frontend is running, and if the frontend doesn't exist for a certain amount of time, the backend closes itself? Because it seems like the backend running on its own is useless, if I understood correctly
Battle Master
2025-10-07 22:08:42 +0000 UTCThanks for the shout-out!
Jerry Of All Trades - aka SlydWeis
2025-10-06 12:40:37 +0000 UTCHey Michael, firstly don't feel obligated to be on this Patreon if you're in a dire financial situation - look out for yourself first and foremost. I hope things go well with your new job. As far as contributing to Vanilla, there are kind of two main prongs: accuracy/authenticity to the original gamepad, and wider support for hardware platforms. The former requires some packet sniffing/reverse engineering of Wii U<->gamepad communications, while the latter mostly comes down to getting Vanilla ported and working out the quirks on each system (usually related to the Wi-Fi). Contributions to either of these would be greatly appreciated. Otherwise, if you feel there are other bugs/QoL things feel free to make an issue and/or PR.
MattKC
2025-10-04 17:56:53 +0000 UTCI have heard other people mention this, I'll probably add a setting somewhere to flip the button layout so people can choose
MattKC
2025-10-04 17:40:55 +0000 UTCIt certainly is a uniquely quirky Linux distribution, but to be fair Valve's goal wasn't to produce a Linux machine - it's a gaming handheld that happens to be based on Linux. The fact that we can do all this other stuff is technically a nice bonus.
MattKC
2025-10-04 17:40:09 +0000 UTCYou should reach out to the Steam Deck team at Valve to see if they can help. The wifi issue seems like something they might not even know about.
Ian Zamojc
2025-10-04 12:25:15 +0000 UTCI just tried it again on my Steam Deck after a few months, unlike last time where it barely worked and regularly disconnected it now works nearly flawlessly. Thank you :) One minor gripe (though I could very well miss something trivial) is, that as Nintendo uses inverted ABXY buttons compared to the Steam Deck, it gets kind of confusing for me, especially when trying to play one of the 3D Zeldas as it shows the mapped items on the screen :). Even remapping the buttons through Steam doesn't seem to work, and while A is now mapped to A on Steam Deck which is problably how many people prefer it, I would rather have it the same as on Nintendo as it otherwise confuses my brain when playing a Nintendo game, especially one that shows the physical placement of buttons on screen :)
Christian B
2025-10-04 11:02:39 +0000 UTCI get the impression SteamOS is a rather screwy way to roll out Linux. Having to implement Steam Deck-specific things because certain Linux features you take for granted aren't readily accessible in SteamOS. I dunno, maybe I'm just not used to how to deploy software to Linux (maybe distro-specific quirks are just a matter of life that anyone has to be cognizant of when they're publishing software) but it does seem challenging that expected actions don't play well in this specific build of the OS.
SolidSonicTH
2025-10-04 11:01:35 +0000 UTCLong time fan, first time commenter. This sounds like an awesome project for contributions. I don't have a steam deck (yet), but I have a Linux gaming laptop, several Anbernic handhelds, a WiiU, low level programming knowledge, and some hardware hacking experience. How can I contribute? I just started a new job and I'm financially in the deepest hole I've ever been, potentially losing my home within the next month. As a result I can't commit to any kind of timeline, but I'd love to add anything I can when I have any kind of opportunity.
Michael Rice
2025-10-04 09:33:13 +0000 UTCThis is the project that put you on my radar and, as a Valve enthusiast, I'm beyond thrilled at the continued work you've done on this. As usual, you've explored elegant solutions to challenging problems and you deserve a big high five for your efforts. Keep up the great work!
Corban
2025-10-04 09:14:46 +0000 UTC
