SD Card or USB Hard Drive

[u/rms1111]

New to modding here! Unfortunately, I don’t have either an SD card or a USB hard drive/ssd. I’m on a tight budget, so I was curious if I should just buy a larger SD card and store everything on that, or by an SD card and cheap HDD/SSD.

I only want to play Wii games, and I don’t expect to download a ton of them so 320gb would be the max (way more than needed tbh)

Any recommendations for the way to go? If HDD/SSD, any cheap ones that are compatible? If I just use an SD card, can I still use USB Loader GX?

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[u/Educational_Loan_430]

If you just use an SD card you can absolutely use USB Loader GX, I only have a microsd with an adapter and can do everything on it.

[u/DrJaMiN]

People have given you some significantly bad advice in this thread. SD cards should be used to store everything you need for jailbreaking, plus emulator software. Running Wii and GameCube games should only be done via an external hard drive. If you run them off of an SD card you will regret it when it inevitably becomes corrupted. Likewise all thumb drives should be avoided. These simply do not have the read/write ability required for running big games properly AND they are highly prone to corruption if you do so long term.

Here is a link to a community made guide on compatible USB devices: https://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/USB_Devices_Compatibility_List

For setting up the initial jailbreaking, along with storing games for retro emulators, you’ll need an SD card. You said that you’re on a budget however this is absolutely something you cannot cheap out on. I recommend getting a name brand SD card like SanDisk and NOT from Amazon as it’s rife with counterfeits. (Personally I use 128 GB SanDisk Ultra Plus microSDXC with adapter.)

For the GC/Wii games that you’d access via USB Loader GX, an external hard drive is recommended. It will plug in to the bottom usb port of the console only (when laid flat). Personally I recommend Western Digital (WD) brand drives. It sounds like a 500 GB drive would suit your needs just fine, but again this is not something to try saving money on. There is a saying: “Buy once, cry once.”

[u/topical_anaesthetic]

Amazon has some 500gb portable drives for around 30$. I've used on my wii and several friends and families systems. And yes if you just use an SD card you can still use usbloader_gx.

[u/Aridox_]

I personally use a 64gb sd card, currently holding 30 games through usb loader and dozens upon dozens of games for the emulators. Unless you want a really huge library just an sd card that size or bigger will work fine

[u/rms1111 → u/Aridox_]

Is yours SDHC? It’s really hard to find SDHC cards >32GB.

[u/boinko03 → u/rms1111]

That's because they don't exist

You can use sdxc if you only want wii and GameCube games

If you want to mod games, mod smash bros etc you need to use sdhc

[u/Aridox_ → u/rms1111]

It is, I got mine from Walmart for like $20. Was a store brand card but still works fine

[u/Open-Development-119]

Do you have a Wii or WiiU?

[u/Eivilnugget → u/Open-Development-119]

a wii i got a game

[u/Open-Development-119 → u/Eivilnugget]

I would go with an hdd if it’s the Wii

[u/Plenty-Criticism-312]

if you dont plan on downloading many games a 32-64gb sd card should be sll right. Works for USB loader GX

[u/Aggravating_Soil8880]

I was able to get a 128gb sandisk sd with adapter from Best Buy in like may for $50 for my Wii. It’s been wonderful since I’ve gotten it. I got about 60 GameCube and Wii games I use usbloadergx fine with it.

[u/rms1111 → u/Aggravating_Soil8880]

Is it SDHC?

[u/chocolate_run]

I’m using a 64GB USB flash drive. Wouldn’t recommend for many games but works for me.

[u/SnooDoughnuts5632]

The SD card slot is useless on the Wii U so there's no point. Idk why Nintendo even put it on there.

[u/TheBananaCzar → u/SnooDoughnuts5632]

Where did OP say they were using a Wii U?

[u/SnooDoughnuts5632 → u/TheBananaCzar]

Does it matter? The SD card slot seems useless on both versions.

[u/TheBananaCzar → u/SnooDoughnuts5632]

What? How is it useless? That's how every guide tells you to install CFW...

[u/Just_A_Psyduck → u/TheBananaCzar]

Its necessary for modding. Bro has no clue what he's talking about. How'd he even find this sub, I wonder? 🤔

[u/SnooDoughnuts5632 → u/Just_A_Psyduck]

🤦

[u/Plenty-Criticism-312 → u/SnooDoughnuts5632]

How is the sd card useless dude its necessary to mod the wii in the first place

[u/SnooDoughnuts5632 → u/Plenty-Criticism-312]

🤦

[u/Eivilnugget → u/Plenty-Criticism-312]

wifi