Pretendo Network is an open source alternative to Nintendo Network that no longer requires a hacked Wii U console. With servers for Nintendo’s outdated console shutting down on Monday, Pretendo Network has shared a new workaround that provides (limited) access to its homebrew servers without having to jailbreak your dusty old console.
SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is a protocol that encrypts the connection between a device and its server. Wii U’s SSL vulnerability (branded “SSSL”) discovered by Pretendo Network Photographers, allowing you to connect to the network with just a simple DNS change, which you can do on stock firmware. “We are keeping this vulnerability open today in case Nintendo decides to release a patch for it,” the network’s creators wrote in a blog post announcing the new workaround.
But not everything will work. The Pretendo Network team stated that third-party games that use their own SSL libraries are incompatible.include watch dogs, the YouTube application, and any application running an embedded browser (such as TVii, eShop, and Miiverse applets). However, online creators emphasized that in the game Miiverse functionality still works.
The workaround requires Wii U to be running at least firmware version 5.5.5. If your software is older than this version, you should still be able to go online and install the latest updates. The last time Nintendo pushed a Wii U firmware update was in August 2022, when the current version (5.5.6) was released.
Shutting down the Wii U and 3DS online servers will not prevent Nintendo from providing new firmware updates for the consoles. Given Nintendo’s reluctance to hack its devices, the Mario Maker could, at least in theory, update the 12-year-old Wii U to patch the DNS solution.
To try SSSL as well, you can follow Pretendo Network’s instructions.
