Wii U:Region Changing

This guide will show you how to region change your Wii U. This process is the most effective way versus the old and tedious method, but if you don't follow the guide properly there is a chance you can brick your system. Just keep ISFSHax installed until after you have finished the guide.

Usage

This doesn't change the vWii region. If you do wish to change the vWii region as well after region changing the Wii U, run vWii Decaffeinator on Light mode (guide can be found here) and regenerate setting.txt, then perform a system update with updates unblocked.

This guide will require you to wipe the MLC. Backup any important saves you wish to preserve by using either SaveMii or dumpling. You can however region change without wiping it, you would just skip Erase MLC and Delete scfm.img, but keep in mind you'd need to delete old titles via wupclient.py (right click > Save Link As).

Keep a copy of your OTP and SEEPROM backups. It is just in case something goes wrong, which is unlikely but better to keep regardless.

Do not uninstall ISFShax after erasing the eMMC and deleting the SCFM until you have successfully rebuilt the MLC and confirmed everything is working. We are not responsible if you fail to follow directions.

What You Need

• You must first have ISFShax installed. This is a requirement to region change and is not optional. (de_fuse can also be used, but that is for more advanced users and requires soldering.)
  • Follow the ISFShax installation instructions until you reach the "Booting" section
• The latest release of MLCRestorerDownloader (With your preferred OS)
• The latest release of the MLC setup plugin
• The latest release of the wafel_payloader Plugin
• The latest Aroma files (If you have aroma already, ignore this.)
  • Check the boxes, then hit Download Base Aroma and Download Payloads.
• If you wish to connect to online services such as Pretendo, then your console should be on the system software version 5.5.5 or 5.5.6 to prevent errors during connection due to mismatched IOSU and MLC title versions. If your console is not on one of these versions, then attempt to perform a system update. If the system update does not work, carry on with the guide and you will perform a couple extra steps shortly.

Downloading the MLC files

1. Download and extract the MLCRestorerDownloader.
2. Copy your otp.bin from the NAND backup to the directory of the program.
   • 
3. Run the application.
   • Linux/Mac users only:
     • Open a command prompt / terminal.
     • Change the directory into the MLCRestorerDownloader folder (Type cd, hit space, then either drag the folder into the terminal window or type the directory manually (i.e. cd /Downloads/MLCRestorerDownloader) and enter).
     • Type ./MLCRestorerDownloader and hit enter.
   • Windows users can just double click the .exe file.
   • 
4. Type 1 then hit enter.
5. Type the number for your desired region.
   • 
6. The downloading process may take a few minutes.
7. If your system is on a version below 5.5.5 and you were unable to perform a system update: Launch MLCRestorerDownloader again, and select 2 to download SLC titles, again selecting your desired region. This process will also take a few minutes.

You may now carry on with the rest of the guide below.

Setup plugins and MLC files

1. Copy the wafel_setup_mlc.ipx to your wiiu/ios_plugins folder.
2. Copy the wafel_payloader.ipx to your wiiu/ios_plugins folder.
   • 
3. Copy the wiiu folders from the Aroma download to the root of the SD card and let them merge if not done automatically.
4. Once the MLC download is done, make a folder named wafel_install on the root of your SD card, and copy all 52 MLC files from the output folder to that folder. If you downloaded the SLC titles previously as well, then also copy the SLC files from its respective output folder into wafel_install alongside the MLC files.
   • 

We can now move on to the actual region change.

Region Changing

1. Boot up the console.
   • If it doesn't put you into the minute menu, make sure ISFSHax is installed.
2. Navigate to Backup and Restore.
3. Select Erase MLC, then press EJECT to proceed.
   • If it tells you erasing the MLC isn't allowed, make sure ISFShax is installed.
4. Select Delete scfm.img then press EJECT to proceed.
   • If it gives you a warning that it may brick the console, do not continue and install ISFShax!
5. Go back to the main menu, then select Patch (sd) and Boot IOS (slc).
   • During the setup you won't use the screen and stay at the GO GO GO minute message. You have to go by the power LED.
6. If the LED is blinking blue, the setup has begun. It will complete when the LED stops blinking and is solid blue again.
7. When finished, power off the console and put the SD card back to your PC.
8. Check the wafel_setup_mlc.log file on the root and make sure there were no errors (everything should have 00000000)
   • SetInitialLaunch will have returned 1.
   • If Set Region to X returned error FFFBFFEE, follow the "Fixing sys_prod.xml manually" section now.
9. If everything is correct, you can delete the wafel_setup_mlc.ipx from wiiu/ios_plugins.
10. Reinsert your SD card and boot the console back up. You should then see the Initial Setup screen. Well done, You have region changed your console!

Fixing sys_prod.xml manually

You only need to do this if Set Region to X returned error FFFBFFEE, if it returned a 0, then you can skip this.

1. Download the sys_prod.zip and wafel_sysprod_copy.ipx from here.
2. Extract the sys_prod.xml from the sys_prod.zip file.
3. Open the sys_prod.xml in a text editor, and change the product_area and game_region to the region of choice.
   • 
   • Region values are as follows: JPN - 1. USA - 2. EUR - 4
4. Change the code_id, serial_id and model_number values to the ones found on the stickers located on the bottom of the console.
   • 
   • 
5. Save the file, and then copy it to the root of the SD card.
6. Copy the downloaded wafel_sysprod_copy.ipx to SD:/wiiu/ios_plugins.
7. Delete the wafel_setup_mlc.ipx if it is still there.
8. Boot the console and do the Patch (sd) and boot IOS (slc) in minute.
9. Leave the console running for about 30 seconds, and then power it off.
10. Repeat Step 7, but it should boot this time. No need for deleting the plugin, as it will delete itself after it has been ran.

Region changing the Gamepad

Follow this to change the Gamepad's region. This is not required as out-of-region Gamepads can still be paired with Aroma's DRC Region Free plugin.

1. Download the latest release of DRXUtil and copy it to SD:/wiiu/apps.
2. On the Wii U Menu, launch DRXUtil.rpx.
   • If it doesn't show up, press L + DPAD DOWN + SELECT on the Gamepad and set the "Hide all .rpx" configuration in the "Homebrew on Wii U Menu Plugin" to false.
3. Select Flash firmware.
4. Select Built-in Firmware Patches. Read the warning, then select Continue.
5. Read the second warning, then select Continue.
6. Wait for the firmware to flash. Press B when its done.
   • With the patched firmware, the Gamepad will now show "Modified Firmware" while booting up.
7. Select Set region and select the target region.
   • Note that Japan/America/Europe are the only regions that are actually used.
8. Press A to confirm. Press B to go back to the main screen.
9. Select Show DRC/DRH information and verify that the region under DRC Info has been set to the one you selected.
10. Press B to go back to the main screen and select Flash firmware.
11. Select Original Firmware. Read the warning then select Continue.
12. Read the second warning, then select Continue.
13. Wait for the firmware to flash. Press B once finished and go back to the Wii U Menu.
14. Launch System Settings, select Console Information (Icon with a red Console/Gamepad), select Set System Language, then select the target language. This will change the Gamepad language.
15. Once it's finished, you're done!

Finalizing Region Change

You can keep ISFShax installed, or uninstall it. It's recommended to keep it, so you can coldboot Aroma without having the PayloadLoader attached to Health and Safety. It also serves as brick protections of sorts. You can now continue following the ISFShax guide from the "Autobooting with SD" section.

For region changing the vWii, read the info box at the top of the page.