Official online functionality for the Wii U and 3DS may be no more (as of today, 9th April), but unofficial Nintendo Network replacements are already out there. What’s more, the fan-made server substitute Pretendo Network is now available even for those who don’t want to hack their Wii U.
In a blog post released today, the brains behind Pretendo marked the launch of ‘SSSL’, a “private SSL exploit for the Wii U” which “allows users to connect to Pretendo Network from a stock Wii U, with no homebrew or custom firmware at all.”
According to the statement, a DNS change is all that is now required to get the network replacement up and running on a Wii U, allowing anyone who had previously resisted installing Homebrew the chance to get in on the action. Full set-up instructions are available on the Pretendo Network website.
This new connection method relies on a bug found in the Wii U’s ver. 5.5.5 SSL module and the Pretendo team claim they have known of it for a while but didn’t want to make the information publicly available in case it should get patched as a result.
The online server recreations will not work for titles which utilise their own SSL libraries (Pretendo lists WATCH_DOGS and YouTube as examples) and the team stated on Twitter that the hackless method is only available on Wii U, with no such exploits being viable for the 3DS.
Laura Adams is a tech enthusiast residing in the UK. Her articles cover the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.
