Power delivery is another critical variable. The Wii’s USB ports provide limited amperage. Portable "bus-powered" drives that draw energy directly from the console often suffer from "brownouts" during intensive data reads, causing the game to crash. The community-standard advice found in these exclusive lists is to use either a drive with an external power supply or a "Y-cable" that draws power from both of the Wii’s USB ports. Paradoxically, while flash drives are the most convenient, they are universally discouraged. Flash memory lacks the consistent read-write controllers found in Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) or Solid State Drives (SSDs), leading to rapid corruption when used with the Wii’s file system.
If your drive is on the "compatible" list but isn't working, the issue is likely the format. usb loader gx usb compatibility list exclusive
Since there isn't one single list, here is a breakdown of what works and what doesn't based on current community data. Power delivery is another critical variable
If you are looking for a drive to use with USB Loader GX, It is virtually guaranteed to work, requires no extra power cable, and fits the aesthetic of the console. The community-standard advice found in these exclusive lists
| Tier | Chipset | Examples | USB Loader GX Verdict | |------|---------|----------|----------------------| | | NEC uPD720200 | Early WD Elements (pre-2015) | Instant boot, no lag in cutscenes | | A-Tier (Flawless) | JMicron JMS578 | Seagate Expansion Desktop, Some SSDs | Works 100% after sleep fix | | B-Tier (Works) | ASMedia ASM1153E | Orico enclosures, newer WD drives | Works, but needs IOS 58 reload | | F-Tier (Avoid) | JMicron JMS566 | Cheap $10 enclosures | Random freezes after 20 min | | F-Tier (Nightmare) | Initio 3161 | Old LaCie, some Toshiba Canvio | Will not initialize. Ever. |