Choosing a USB drive

In order to load your games using USB on your Wii console, you’ll obviously need a USB first. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as just choosing any random USB drive. However, this guide will cover how to choose a drive that has the highest chance of working with your console.

If you already have a USB drive

If you already have a USB drive to use, here’s how you can determine if it will work.

If it is an actual hard drive (HDD or SSD), it will most likely work, and you can try using it.

If it is a USB flash drive (also known as a thumb drive, stick, or pen drive), it could go either way. It might work, but flash drives can have issues. You can try using it, but if it doesn’t work, you’ll have to use something else.

If it is a USB SD card reader, it will most likely not work. You are welcome to try it, but your chances are not very good.

If it is an internal hard drive that you got from pulling out of a computer or by some other means, it will most likely work, but you will need an enclosure. See the next section for more information on enclosures.

In the event that your existing USB drive isn’t working, continue to the next section, where you can see what USB drive to purchase.

If you need to purchase a USB drive

In the event that you don’t have a USB drive to use or the one you have doesn’t work, you’ll need to purchase one.

We recommend purchasing an internal hard drive and a USB enclosure. An enclosure is a device that allows you to use an internal hard drive much like an external one.

While this combo can be more expensive, it will be more worth it in the long run, as it is much easier to replace a hard drive in an enclosure when the hard drive inevitably dies than it is in an external hard drive.

It’s also recommended that you purchase the enclosure first, as the enclosure limits the type of hard drive you can buy.

If you already have an internal hard drive

if you already have a hard drive, you will need to identify the interface type as well as the size. Here is how to do that:

Look at the front of the hard drive, where the connection is. Here is where we will determine if the interface is SATA or IDE.

This is what the connection on a SATA hard drive looks like:

Comparatively, this is what the connection on an IDE hard drive looks like:

Once you have determined the interface of your hard drive, you need to determine the size:

A 3.5” hard drive is very thick and large, similar in size to a VHS tape.

A 2.5” hard drive is very thin and small, similar in size to a modern day cell phone.

Once you have determined the interface and size of your hard drive, you now can shop for an enclosure.

If you have a 2.5” SATA drive, this is the enclosure we recommend

If you have any other drive, we recommend searching online for a good enclosure.

If you don’t have an internal hard drive and need to purchase one

If you are looking to purchase an internal hard drive, we recommend going with a 2.5” SATA drive, as it is the smallest drive with the most modern interface, and does not need too much power.

We recommend going with one of the bigger hard drive brands, such as Seagate or WD (Western Digital).

If you have purchased a 2.5” SATA drive, this is the enclosure we recommend

If you have purchased any other drive, we recommend searching online for a good enclosure.

Once you have a USB drive to use, you can continue to choosing a USB loader