Install Haxchi CFW on Wii U (eShop DS Game Required)

This guide will show you how to install Haxchi CFW on your Wii U. This will unlock the greater potential of the console and allow you enjoy benefits such as playing game backups, emulators, importing save files and more.

Haxchi can be configured to run on boot (Coldboot Haxchi), enabling you to have a permanent custom firmware on your Wii U that persists after reboot.

Haxchi CFW requires a DS Game installed and purchased from the Nintendo eShop in order to be installed on your Wii U:

eShop DS Games compatible with Haxchi

Animal Crossing: Wild World
Big Brain Academy
Brain Age
DK: Jungle Climber
Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training
Kirby: Canvas Curse
Kirby: Mass Attack
Kirby: Squeak Squad
Kirby: Mouse Attack
Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Mario Kart DS
New Super Mario Bros.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of the Sky
Pokemon Ranger
Pokemon Ranger: Guardian Signs
Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia
Starfox Command
Super Mario 64 DS
Wario: Master of Disguise
WarioWare: Touched
Yoshi’s Island DS
Yoshi’s Touch & Go

It is advised to nominate a game that you no longer wish to play as you will not have access to it once Haxchi is installed.

Required Downloads:

Rufus
config.txt (from wiiu.hacks.guide)
Homebrew App Store (wiiu-extracttosd.zip)
Homebrew Launcher Installer (payload.zip)
Haxchi and CBHC
Homebrew Launcher (v1.4) (homebrew_launcher.v1.4.zip)
Homebrew Launcher Channel (homebrew_launcher_channel.zip)
NNU-Patcher
WUP Installer GX2

Requirements

Wii U on Firmware 5.5.4

The Wii U browser exploit requires firmware 5.5.4 or lower
Update to 5.5.4 for greater compatibility with homebrew

SD Card (64B or larger recommended)

An SD card is required to install the homebrew files on your Wii U console
The SD card must be formatted to FAT32

Wi-Fi Internet Connection

The browser exploit can be launched by visiting wiiuexploit.xyz or u.wiidb.de on your Wii U
An internet connection is also required to download from the homebrew app store

Haxchi Compatible DS Game from eShop

Haxchi CFW requires a DS Virtual Console game from the Nintendo eShop
This is a list of the Haxchi compatible eShop DS games
DO NOT use a DS game that is NOT installed from the eShop, it will lead to a bricked Wii U.

Formatting SD Card

Windows is unable to format SD cards larger than 32GB to FAT32 so we will be using a well-known portable software tool called Rufus to accomplish this. This will delete all the files on your SD card so create a backup of any files you wish to keep.

Select your MicroSD as the [Device]
Set [Boot selection] to [Non bootable]
Set [Partition scheme] to [MBR]
You may name your SD card with [Volume label]
Set [File system] to [Large FAT32]
Set [Cluster size] to the Default setting
SD Cards with 128GB or larger capacity may require a [Cluster size] of 64 kilobytes
Select [Show advanced format options] and uncheck [Create extended label and icon files]
Select [START] -> [OK] and wait for the process to complete

Congratulations, you’ve now formatted your SD card to FAT32 and can begin hacking your Wii U.

Preparing SD Files

Extract the contents of wiiu-extracttosd.zip (Homebrew App Store) to the root of your SD card
Extract the contents of homebrew_launcher.v.1.4.zip to the root of your SD card
Extract the contents of nnupatcher.zip to the root of your SD card
Extract the contents of wup_installer_gx2.zip to the root of your SD card
Extract the contents of Haxchi.zip to the root of your SD card
Extract the contents of CBHC.zip to the root of your SD card
Copy config.txt to the /haxchi/ folder on your SD card (overwrite the existing file)
Extract the contents of payload.zip (Homebrew Launcher Installer) to the /wiiu/ folder on your SD card
Create a folder named install in the root of your SD card
Create a folder named hbc inside the /install/ folder
Extract the contents of homebrew_launcher_channel.zip to the /install/hbc/ folder on your SD card
Insert your SD into your Wii U and power it on

Install Haxchi CFW

Launch the [Internet Browser] on your Wii U and visit wiiuexploit.xyz
Select [Run Homebrew Launcher]
Select Haxchi Installer in the Homebrew Launcher
Select the DS Virtual Console game then press [A] and wait for the process to complete
Your Wii U will reboot and the DS game will be replaced with Haxchi

Congratulations, you’ve successfully installed the Haxchi CFW. You will need to launch Haxchi from the Wii U Menu to load the CFW patches every time you reboot your console.

Hold [A] while Haxchi is loading to access the Homebrew Launcher menu

Now that you have activated Haxchi custom firmware, you can enjoy the extra benefits such as:

Download and Install Game Backups
Play Wii Games from USB HDD (NGC + N64 VC Included)
Backup and Import Save Files
Emulators via RetroArch (Play GBA, SNES, SEGA and more)

You can configure Haxchi to be persistent even after reboot with Coldboot Haxchi. This will assign your DS game (Haxchi) to load on boot instead of the System Menu. The procedure is short and simple but it is advised to consider the risks before proceeding as a mistake can result in a bricked, unusable Wii U.

Coldboot Haxchi (Permanent CFW After Reboot)

Do not move your DS game to external USB HDD or your Wii U will brick
Do not reinstall or delete the DS game or your Wii U will brick
Do not use a DS game or backup that is not directly from the eShop or your Wii U will brick
Do not format your Wii U system storage or your Wii U will brick
Do not deleted the user account or NNID that purchased the DS game or your Wii U will brick

Launch Haxchi and hold [A] while it is booting to load the Homebrew Launcher menu
Select Coldboot Haxchi Installer
Select the DS Virtual Console game then press [A] and wait for the process to complete
Your Wii U will reboot
Launch the replaced Haxchi system icon to load the Coldboot Haxchi menu
Set [Autoboot: ] to [System Menu]
Select [Boot System Menu] to reboot the Wii U
Manually reboot the Wii U to ensure that Coldboot Haxchi is working as intended
Once you’ve rebooted, move the Coldboot Haxchi system icon to the final page to avoid tampering

Congratulations, you’ve now installed Coldboot Haxchi for a Wii U with permanent custom firmware features even after reboot.

Install Homebrew Launcher Channel

To access the Homebrew Launcher menu without the browser exploit:

Haxchi users must launch Haxchi and hold [A] while it boots to load the Homebrew Launcher
Coldboot Haxchi must press [Home] while it is autobooting to access the menu and select [Boot Homebrew Launcher]

To Install the Homebrew Launcher Channel that can be accessed from the Wii U Menu:

Load the Homebrew Launcher
Select WUP Installer GX2
Select [hbc] -> [Install] and wait for the process to complete
Press the [Home] button to return to the Wii U Menu and find the Homebrew Launcher Icon

Block Updates via DNS

It is advised to block Nintendo’s servers via DNS settings to prevent automatic updates. Run NNU-Patcher from the Homebrew Launcher to access the eShop temporarily until reboot.

From the Wii U Menu, go to [System Settings] -> [Internet] -> [Connect to the Internet]
Press [X] to see your saved networks
Select your current network connection -> [Change Settings]
Select [DNS] -> [Do not auto-obtain]
Set [Primary DNS] to 168.235.092.108
Set [Secondary DNS] to 081.004.127.020
Select [Confirm] -> Press [B] -> [Save] -> [End]
You will now receive an error if you attempt to access the Nintendo eShop