Nintendo News | Official Mass Storage USB for Wii!
Recent News
With many people complaining about the small size of the 512MB internal memory of Nintendo's Wii and the current lack of compatibility between the system and external USB storage devices, there appears to be good news on the horizon. An official Press Release has gone out from eSOL, Ltd, stating that its leading embedded middleware products, "PrFILE2" FAT file system and "PrUSB/Host" USB host stack, have been selected by Nintendo for use with the Wii console.
Both software products constitute fundamental functionalities in the Wii console - managing and transferring data and files with external media. In particular, PrFILE2 provides file management functions that read and write data from SD memory cards, as well as other media. PrUSB/Host functions are used in Wii, to provide USB host functions.
"I am very happy that we could take part in the development for Wii, a new game console from Nintendo. I believe that our products were selected because Nintendo highly-valued our long, successful history with many digital consumer products and high-reliability and functionality based on that. We will continue to provide superior products and technical services to strongly support developers in embedded software development."
- Nobuyuki Ueyama, Executive Vice President, Embedded Products Division at eSOL.
So could this finally be the answer we have all been looking for when it comes to downloading lots of Virtual Console games?
Stay tuned for further details...[/b]
Both software products constitute fundamental functionalities in the Wii console - managing and transferring data and files with external media. In particular, PrFILE2 provides file management functions that read and write data from SD memory cards, as well as other media. PrUSB/Host functions are used in Wii, to provide USB host functions.
"I am very happy that we could take part in the development for Wii, a new game console from Nintendo. I believe that our products were selected because Nintendo highly-valued our long, successful history with many digital consumer products and high-reliability and functionality based on that. We will continue to provide superior products and technical services to strongly support developers in embedded software development."
- Nobuyuki Ueyama, Executive Vice President, Embedded Products Division at eSOL.
So could this finally be the answer we have all been looking for when it comes to downloading lots of Virtual Console games?
Stay tuned for further details...[/b]
CommentsPost a Comment
1
TheStratMan Reply Quote #1

L89 Super Mario
3946
231
25.09.2003
TomazCool. Better not cost too much though.
jb Reply Quote #2

Founder/Admin
14621
984
04.01.2003
jbcubed3.Urgh. I hope they allow 3rd party / unofficial drives.
jb(at)cubed3.com
jb(at)cubed3.com
fable2323 Reply Quote #3

L4 Buzz Bomber
38
21
13.10.2006
noneI think this means you will get to choose from a compatible list of HDD's. This is in good form as Microsoft just showed consumers how they would rape them for a 120GB HDD. This will probably be a firmware update to allow the functionality.
Don't hate, congratulate!
Grumbler Reply Quote #4

L100 Eternal Master
11626
1483
11.07.2005
noneI don't really understand this.
It's going to be shit and you jolly well know it.
Slydevil Reply Quote #5

C3 Mod
3135
370
09.04.2006
noneI think it's just software enabling the transfer of files from Wii to USB. I don't think it's the actual hardware yet.
IANC said:
Dude yuor totally awesome. And i won't be killing you anytime soon.
Dude yuor totally awesome. And i won't be killing you anytime soon.
squeek Reply Quote #6

L16 Guardian Dragon
155
32
28.03.2007
ianHopefully it won't be any 'actual hardware', it'll just be a firmware update to allow the Wii to work with standard USB mass media.
Once the Wii can use USB HDs it would be nice for Nintendo to implement a good media player (they could use mplayer as a base like the xbox media center does) and a demo channel. A good interface for quickly browsing lots of photos on the USB media would be good.
I would be interested in playing saturn and dreamcast games because I missed out on all of those.
Once the Wii can use USB HDs it would be nice for Nintendo to implement a good media player (they could use mplayer as a base like the xbox media center does) and a demo channel. A good interface for quickly browsing lots of photos on the USB media would be good.
I would be interested in playing saturn and dreamcast games because I missed out on all of those.
Grumbler Reply Quote #7

L100 Eternal Master
11626
1483
11.07.2005
noneI'd have thought if it could already manage SD cards it would be up to mass storage stuff anyway. Shows how much I know.
It's going to be shit and you jolly well know it.
James2t3 Reply Quote #8

L100 Eternal Master
9406
799
15.05.2003
James2t3I'm not sure what it means either hopfully it means that you can read data from SD cards by that i mean use the SD card as a memory expansion not as a place to back up your stuff.
Hopfuly it means standerd USB mass storage devices are supported aswell, would make the photochannel easier to use.
XBL Gamertag: James2t3
Hopfuly it means standerd USB mass storage devices are supported aswell, would make the photochannel easier to use.
XBL Gamertag: James2t3
Balladeer Reply Quote #9

L45 Lightning Ninja
788
53
17.02.2007
BalladeerExcellent, I suppose. I've never had enough games on any console to warrant more than two memory cards, so I'm not exactly over the metaphorical moon about this.
Screwing the rules since 1989.
Screwing the rules since 1989.
Modplan Man Reply Quote #11

L77 Final Metalix
Call me Ryan
2773
536
23.09.2006
noneCould mean much more advanced file management on SD cards, and compatibility for USB storage would be wootable.
jadnice Reply Quote #12

L8 Floating Lakitu
72
22
26.03.2006
noneITS ABOUT DAMN TIME!!!....if true this takes care of one of a few things the big N needs to do to get the core gamer on board. Mass storage is a must.
Megadanxzero Reply Quote #13

L100 Eternal Master
5519
448
24.03.2006
MegadanX 0WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
I think? ...Still a proud member of the 'omfg amazing water in games' society
I think? ...
Don Pablo Reply Quote #14

L59 Chain Chomp
1398
613
15.04.2006
noneSo to be clear, this is just a firmware update so that the Wii can recognize USB storage devices yes? Maybe this means they'll release bigger games on the VC.
~phil Reply Quote #15

L75 King Dedede
2513
327
27.09.2003
noneA bit ironic that if this were to happen, I'd be using a 2GB SD card with a USB card reader anyway, which is a bit pointless. Even more ironic that the card would be full of illegal NDS roms as well.
And holy fuck, look at those diggs!
And holy fuck, look at those diggs!
Maquis Reply Quote #16

L25 Sharpclaw Biker
293
83
10.06.2006
noneinteresting sidebar... a ps fan once counted Memory Cards as a ps innovation. accurate or not, i certainly lol'd that expensive - 30 quid when i got ps2 -external accessory Memory was viewed as a blessing!
back on topic...
this Wii USB things is fascinating (Captain!)
back on topic...
this Wii USB things is fascinating (Captain!)
xeke Reply Quote #17

L72 Samus
2193
96
18.02.2004
noneWell hey, with Microsoft thinking they can charge $99 for a 20 GB hard drive and $169 for a 120 GB I hope they just present a price a little more reasonable.
Gods in His Heaven. Alls right in the World.
Martin_ Reply Quote #18

L100 Eternal Master
6829
749
05.09.2004
noneYet again, misleading news title. No hardware of the sort has been confirmed, or even rumoured here.

Zapp Reply Quote #19

L100 Eternal Master
6297
984
28.04.2005
Wii-PlayAwsome, its middleware that allows you to use external hardware, it supports FAT/12/16/32 that connect through the USB drive, coz before you couldn't connect external HDD to the Wii coz the USB wont recognise the hardware, and now this middleware allows for external hardware to be connected to the wii!! so it detects when USB device is insterted and removed, it manages USB standard requests in control transfers, supports hubs for management of multiple USB devices!!!
PrUSB/Host is a USB host protocol that works with USB1.1 and 2.0 (full speed/high speed) for embedded systems. PrUSB/Host allows communication with USB devices without using a pc.
hope it didnt confuse you!!!
BRAWL CODE:
"Dan~ 3566-2989-8366"
PrUSB/Host is a USB host protocol that works with USB1.1 and 2.0 (full speed/high speed) for embedded systems. PrUSB/Host allows communication with USB devices without using a pc.
hope it didnt confuse you!!!

( Edited on 06.04.2007 00:01 by HAR HAR!!! )
BRAWL CODE:
"Dan~ 3566-2989-8366"
Sidepocket Reply Quote #20

L34 Invisible Keese
477
72
11.09.2006
SidepocketHmmm, useualy middleware is based on something offical.
Could Nintendo be comming out with a similar feature, maby its one of those "Hardware/Software Enhancements" for hardcore players he was talking about?
Could Nintendo be comming out with a similar feature, maby its one of those "Hardware/Software Enhancements" for hardcore players he was talking about?
mOojc Reply Quote #21

L96 Secondary Guard
4665
243
06.06.2004
mOojcGood news, bout time they did something about the storage issues.
1


Features


News
Forums
Community
Posted by
Tags:

