Unofficial Replacement Network Launches for Wii U Despite Official Shutdown
Online functionality for the Wii U and 3DS has been officially discontinued by Nintendo starting today, April 9th. However, unofficial replacements for the Nintendo Network have already emerged. In particular, the fan-made server substitute, Pretendo Network, can now be accessed by Wii U users without the need for homebrew or custom firmware.
In a recent blog post released by Pretendo Network, they marked the launch of ‘SSSL’, a privately-developed SSL exploit for the Wii U. This exploit allows users to connect to Pretendo Network without the requirement of homebrew or custom firmware. By simply making a DNS change, Wii U users can easily get the network replacement up and running. Pretendo Network provides detailed setup instructions on their website.
Pretendo Network’s new connection method takes advantage of a bug found in the Wii U’s ver. 5.5.5 SSL module. The Pretendo team has been aware of this bug for a while but refrained from making the information public to prevent it from being patched.
It should be noted that the online server recreations will not function for games that utilize their own SSL libraries. For instance, both WATCH_DOGS and YouTube are listed by Pretendo as examples where the server substitution will not work. Furthermore, the hackless method to access Pretendo Network is exclusive to the Wii U, with no existing exploits viable for the 3DS.
What are your thoughts on Pretendo now that Nintendo’s online servers have been permanently shut down? Share your opinion with us in the comments section below!
[source pretendo.network, via twitter.com]
