Cemu - Free Wii U Emulator
It would not be wrong if we say that the best games are never those we own. Instead, we fancy that the games we have not played yet would be much better. Games like Mario Kart 8 make us crave them, as many of us are unable to afford their physical copy. That is why many people turn to tools like Cemu Emulator to play their favourite games.
For those who want to explore Wii U games on their own PCs, this emulator is a great choice. This article will discuss everything you need to know before installing it on your device. Gamers will learn about the safety concerns regarding the use of emulators. In the hind part, the guide will discuss some great games that can be played using the Cemu Emulator.
What is Cemu Emulator?
In simple words, it is a free piece of software that lets you play Wii U games on your personal computer. Exzap and Petergov were a small team of developers who made this tool back in 2015. Since the beginning, it has aimed at making Wii U games available for desktops.
This emulator has made it possible for us to play the likes of Breath of the Wild even if we do not own an original console. It is to be noted that it is not an official Nintendo Product. Instead, it is an emulator built by fans based on reverse engineering. Though it may sound risky for that reason, it has gained a strong reputation in the gaming community.
Notable Features of Cemu Wii U Emulator?
Now that you have learned about the fundamentals of this software, let us have a look at the features of the Cemu emulator:
4K RESOLUTION SUPPORT
This emulator can upscale the games far beyond their original resolution. Many titles like Zelda: Breath of the Wild can run at a quality of up to 2160p on efficient PCs. These packs overwrite game shaders and other features to match the intended graphics setting. It is all possible because of community-made graphics packs that surpass the visual capacity of the original console.
KEYBOARD, MOUSE & CONTROLLER COMPATIBILITY
On the Cemu Emulator for Windows, you can choose from different controller settings. Whether you have keyboard, mouse settings, or you want to opt for Xbox controls, it is all in your hands. The best thing is that the games will response like real hardware, such is the quality of this emulator. Some of the tools, like Cemuhook, provide users with extensive customisation of controls.
SHADER CACHING FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE
To reduce in-game stuttering, Cemu uses asynchronous shader compilation. What it does is that the emulator compiles every new shader in the background. Though this process might cause a brief lag but future loads are instantaneous once cached. Moreover, players can also download and import precompiled shader caches to reduce performance drops.
MODDING AND CHEAT SUPPORT
Apart from the visual improvements, the emulator supports graphic packs and mods. These things are essential for better gameplay, fixing bugs, and adding cheats. Graphic packs can modify texture resolution and frame-pacing. Users can also apply cheat files to get things that are infinite in quantity. Also, Cemu is fully open to community content, and creators continually develop new packs and cheats for popular games.
GAME COMPATIBILITY
Since the creation of this emulator, it has continued to evolve. With the help of active community support, it has made demanding titles playable on the computer. As mentioned earlier as well, you can enjoy Zelda: BOTW and Xenoblade Chronicles X without any issues. The fact is that most of these titles run stable at a frame rate of 60 FPS with shader tweaks enabled.
OPTIMISED FOR WINDOWS PERFORMANCE
As an emulator for Windows, Cemu is optimised with APIs like Vulkan and OpenGL. When one needs to deal with multi-threaded performance, Vulkan is the preferred choice. On the other hand, OpenGL is efficient if you are looking for a compatible control system. Moreover, users can have access to some advanced settings like VSync and accurate CPU timings via the options menu.
Cemu Emulator Download and Installation
Now, you are going to learn how you can download this tool on your device. This is a step-by-step guide that will make the setup easier for you.
- Step 1. Begin by going to the launcher’s website and choosing the latest version. The current newest version available is 2.6.
- Gamers should note that downloading these tools from random sources can be dangerous. To avoid such issues, only get the files from their official websites.
- Step 2. Once you click on the latest version, you’ll be taken to the GitHub page. From there, select “cemu-2.6-windows-x64.zip” to download it on your PC.
Step 3. As soon as the file finishes downloading, right-click and pick the “Extract All” option from the right-click menu.
Step 4. After extraction, when you open the setup file, a window will appear. Here, you can set the game path on your computer by typing the destination or by browsing the folders. As you are done with it, hit the “Next” button to proceed further.
Step 5. As you are done with initial settings, the launcher will open, and you can go for extra customisation if you want.
Tap on the “Options” from the top ribbon and choose the “General Settings” option from the drop-down menu.
Step 6. As the window appears, tap on the “Graphics” feature where you can opt for the settings that best suit your PC. In the graphics API, keep the default settings to “Vulkan”, but if you want an optimised performance, you can choose “Open GL.” Keep the rest of the settings as they are unless there is some specific game demand.
Step 7. Next, come back to the emulator and click on the “Options” again, but choose the “Input Settings” Option from the appearing menu.
Step 8. You will find different profile options that you can change as per your choice. First of all, choose the username beside the “Profile” option. For “Controller”, click on the drop-down arrow and select the “API” option. Upon clicking the drop-down arrow, you will find multiple control options. You can choose XInput if you have an Xbox and DirectInput if you have a PlayStation. Under a standard PC scenario, you can opt for the “Keyboard” option.
After you are satisfied with all the settings, you can tap on the “Save” button to secure your choices.
A Note on Cemu Emulator Keys.txt & Firmware
To run Wii U games on the emulator without any issue, the keys.txt file plays an integral part. It holds decryption keys, which are used to unlock different game files. So, Cemu will not be able to open a file and run the game if these keys are not available. As a result, gamers will see errors like “Title is encrypted” and the game won’t run.
Now, you might be thinking how you can avail these keys with ease. Well, there are tools like Tik2SD that can be used to extract these keys legally from your Wii U. With the help of these tools, these keys can be easily copied and integrated into the emulator. It is advised that you should not download the keys from random websites, as it can be risky for your computer.
Can We Use Cemu Emulator on Android?
As of now, Cemu Emulator works only on Windows, and there is no official Android version. However, you may see apps with names such as “Cemu Emulator Android” or “Cemu Emulator APK.” One should be careful while considering such apps, as they can be dangerous for your mobile device in many ways. Apart from being harmful, they can not run Wii U games on your mobile while posing security risks.
For those who want to have a feel of these games on their mobile, there are other ways, like Skyline Emulator, to enjoy Nintendo Switch games on their mobile phones. One can also use Dolphin MMJR if they are looking for GameCube titles on their smartphones. The reason we are mentioning them is that these are trusted by the gamer community and are constantly updated.
They are different from fake emulators and run games properly on your mobile device. However, gamers need to make sure they download these tools from their official sources.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Cemu emulator is a powerful tool that breaks the barriers of devices. By doing so, it lets gamers play their favourite Wii U games. This article explored how it works and its features that make it so special. Readers also learned about some common user misconceptions, including its limitations regarding Android versions. Then, a step-by-step guide helped break down the installation and setup process for beginners.
Additionally, the guide told us to download all this software from their official websites. This helps us stay safe from any kind of online security risks. With all this information, readers are now better equipped to use this emulator and explore their favorite Wii U titles right from their Windows device.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Whether you're new to Cemu or a seasoned emulator user, these common questions can help clear your doubts.
Two or more players can enjoy a game on the same device using multiple controllers. However, it is unable to allow true online multiplayer through Nintendo servers. Having said that, some users set up alternative methods like Parsec to enable online play with friends.
Many Wii U games can run decently on lower-end machines with a few graphical compromises. So, having a powerful computer is not a necessary thing. Though games like Breath of the Wild benefit a mid-to-high-end PC, the performance will improve with some customization in settings.
As it is a free software created through reverse engineering, using the Cemu Emulator itself is legal. However, the issue does come when users download games they do not own. That is why one should always dump games and keys from their own Wii U console.
It partially supports touchscreen emulation using the mouse. But the sad part is that it will not be as responsive as the real GamePad. Some games that rely heavily on touch may not function exactly as they did on the console, but most can be played without it.
The transfer of save files from your actual Wii U system to your PC is possible. First, with the help of tools like SaveMii on your console, you can extract save files. Then, place them in the proper directory within Cemu and continue your progress without any trouble.
The developers frequently release new versions to improve their features and boost performance. Updates are usually shared through the official website and GitHub. It is all possible due to a huge active community that regularly gives their feedback about the tool.