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Can I Connect an External Hard Drive to a Nintendo Wii?

The Nintendo Wii comes with a slot for an SD card, which is the same kind of external storage card that many cameras and cellphones use. This card can store photos, music and game information, but it is limited in size. If you want to store something large, such as a game itself, you can connect your Wii to an external hard drive, but this requires a slightly more complicated process.

Nintendo Wii
- The Nintendo Wii is a video gaming console, similar to a PlayStation or an XBox. However, the Wii pioneered a revolutionary method of play by providing a motion-sensitive remote. Instead of merely pushing buttons or toggling switches, Wii users can perform movements, such as swipes and shakes. The Wii remote then translates the user's movements into actions on the screen through a special motion-sensor bar. Many accessories and games are available for the Wii.
Storage
- The Wii provides 88 MB of main system memory and 512 MB of internal flash memory, or extra storage memory. It can read both Wii disks and GameCube disks, so your games do not need to take up any space on the Wii. However, if you do require more storage, the Wii does offer an SD card slot for extra storage. With an SD card, or Secure Digital memory card, you can upload photos, save game data, download WiiWare, and create customized in-game music. SD cards can come in many sizes, which provide different amounts of storage, including the SDHC, the miniSD and the microSD. The latter of these three come with adapters that allow them to fit in the Wii.
Using SD Cards
- To use an SD card for extra storage, you need the Wii 4.0 menu. If your Wii menu isn't updated, you can click "Wii System Update" on the system settings menu. This will provide the SD Card menu. From this menu, you can play saved games or launch Wii channels, such as the Photo Channel, which allows you to view photos. When you click one of these channels, you must click "Start" on the next screen to launch it.
External Hard Drive
- An external USB hard drive is ideal for storing whole games, rather than just saved game information. To use an external hard drive, you'll still need an SD card to store some specific files. You'll also need to install the Homebrew channel on your Wii and a USB loader on your hard drive. The USB hard drive can plug into the bottom USB port on the back of the Wii; the other USB port is for certain gaming accessories. Be warned that though it is rare, setting up an external hard drive incorrectly can permanently damage the Wii.

Nintendo Wii