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Full Version: Would it be worth me getting a Wii Sensor bar and Wii Controller for Dolphin
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Hi there,

I've been using the Dolphin emulator to play Skyward Sword over the last week with my Xbox One Controller and although it's been playing great I've run into issues due to the fact that I'm not using an actual Wii controller with motion plus.

For example, it's really difficult to fly with Links "Crimson Loftwing" with the Xbox controller and also I've gotten stuck in the Forest Temple at the point where you're trying to plug the boss key/Golden Carving into the keyhole of the Forest Temple boss door. It seems impossible for me to position the golden carving in such a way that it fits into the key hole.
Due to this I've been thinking of getting a Wii sensor bar that can plug into the USB port of my PC and buy a Wii controller that has motion plus built into it on Ebay.

These items will cost me a total of 50 Euros approx and I was wondering if it will be worth it for me in the long run? For example, are there other games on the Wii that necessitate the use of a Wii controller? For example do the two Super Mario Galaxy games require the Wii controller to work properly or would I have been able to get away with playing those with my Xbox controller? The only games I would be interested in playing on Dolphin are Skyward Sword and the two Mario Galaxy games. I'm just trying to rationalize the purchase of the controller and sensor bar!

Any helpful advice would be appreciated!

Kind regards,
(07-20-2020, 03:01 AM)segasega89 Wrote: [ -> ]Hi there,

I've been using the Dolphin emulator to play Skyward Sword over the last week with my Xbox One Controller and although it's been playing great I've run into issues due to the fact that I'm not using an actual Wii controller with motion plus.

For example, it's really difficult to fly with Links "Crimson Loftwing" with the Xbox controller and also I've gotten stuck in the Forest Temple at the point where you're trying to plug the boss key/Golden Carving into the keyhole of the Forest Temple boss door. It seems impossible for me to position the golden carving in such a way that it fits into the key hole.
Due to this I've been thinking of getting a Wii sensor bar that can plug into the USB port of my PC and buy a Wii controller that has motion plus built into it on Ebay.

These items will cost me a total of 50 Euros approx and I was wondering if it will be worth it for me in the long run? For example, are there other games on the Wii that necessitate the use of a Wii controller? For example do the two Super Mario Galaxy games require the Wii controller to work properly or would I have been able to get away with playing those with my Xbox controller? The only games I would be interested in playing on Dolphin are Skyward Sword and the two Mario Galaxy games. I'm just trying to rationalize the purchase of the controller and sensor bar!

Any helpful advice would be appreciated!

Kind regards,

yes alot of them. you can emulate with a controler but its just not the same and it does not feel right. best to use a real wii mote and numchuck. you could just get the motion plus controller and see how that is ..you dont need a dolphin bar if its motion plus.
(07-20-2020, 06:48 AM)domjam Wrote: [ -> ]yes alot of them. you can emulate with a controler but its just not the same and it does not feel right. best to use a real wii mote and numchuck. you could just get the motion plus controller and see how that is ..you dont need a dolphin bar if its motion plus.

Hey, 

Thanks for the reply.

I didn't know that I didn't need the sensor if I just get a motion plus controller. I don't understand how that works? 
I was thinking of getting this : https://www.ebay.ie/itm/Built-in-Motion-...2540810871

How does my computer detect input from this controller if I don't have the sensor bar?

Kind regards,
(07-20-2020, 07:23 AM)segasega89 Wrote: [ -> ]How does my computer detect input from this controller if I don't have the sensor bar?

You normally need a Bluetooth adapter (for sending data from the Wii Remote to the PC) and a sensor bar (only for letting the Wii Remote know where the screen is). Dolphin is able to do some math to simulate the data you normally would get from the sensor bar using MotionPlus, though it isn't quite the same experience as actually using a sensor bar. The cursor might drift, for instance.

I would advise against getting a third-party Wii Remote, like you have linked. It's much harder to get those to work than official Wii Remotes.
(07-20-2020, 07:29 AM)JosJuice Wrote: [ -> ]You normally need a Bluetooth adapter (for sending data from the Wii Remote to the PC) and a sensor bar (only for letting the Wii Remote know where the screen is). Dolphin is able to do some math to simulate the data you normally would get from the sensor bar using MotionPlus, though it isn't quite the same experience as actually using a sensor bar. The cursor might drift, for instance.

I would advise against getting a third-party Wii Remote, like you have linked. It's much harder to get those to work than official Wii Remotes.

Nintendo don't make Wii remotes anymore so my only option at the moment is to get a third-party controller. I don't really want to get a second hand wii controller as they might break soon after purchase due to years of usage from previous owners. I have found a Wii remote with built in motion plus on Amazon UK here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Atopoo-Wii-Cont...359&sr=8-3

From looking at the Amazon reviews of the controller it seems that people have had positive experiences with it. 

Do you recommend a particular sensor bar for me to purchase? Is there a particular sensor bar that people use when playing games in Dolphin? I have found a USB sensor bar on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/%E3%80%90Best-D...932&sr=8-3

Do you think this will do? It seems to have gotten good reviews also.  
(07-20-2020, 11:51 PM)segasega89 Wrote: [ -> ]Nintendo don't make Wii remotes anymore so my only option at the moment is to get a third-party controller. I don't really want to get a second hand wii controller as they might break soon after purchase due to years of usage from previous owners. I have found a Wii remote with built in motion plus on Amazon UK here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Atopoo-Wii-Cont...359&sr=8-3

From looking at the Amazon reviews of the controller it seems that people have had positive experiences with it.

That is also a third-party Wii Remote. Third-party Wii Remotes might work fine with real Wiis, but the situation is tricker when it comes to Dolphin.

(07-20-2020, 11:51 PM)segasega89 Wrote: [ -> ]Do you recommend a particular sensor bar for me to purchase? Is there a particular sensor bar that people use when playing games in Dolphin? I have found a USB sensor bar on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/%E3%80%90Best-D...932&sr=8-3

Do you think this will do? It seems to have gotten good reviews also.

It'll probably work. Sensor bars really aren't complicated devices (unless it's a Mayflash DolphinBar, which you should only buy if you know what it is and specifically want its features and quirks), so it's hard to go wrong.
The problem with third-party Wiimotes, is that the only way they will work flawles is with the actual Bluetooth adapter found inside the Wii. They might also work with other adapters, but there´s no guarantee that they will not fail during gameplay.
(07-21-2020, 02:10 AM)DJBarry004 Wrote: [ -> ]The problem with third-party Wiimotes, is that the only way they will work flawles is with the actual Bluetooth adapter found inside the Wii. They might also work with other adapters, but there´s no guarantee that they will not fail during gameplay.
The bluetooth adapter that I have is a "Mpow Bluetooth 4.0 USB" shown here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06X...UTF8&psc=1
It's what I use to play games on my PC with an Xbox One Controller.

Are you saying that the actual official Nintendo Wiimotes will work much better than the third party ones with this kind of USB Bluetooth dongle? 

I could just buy the third party Wiimote from Amazon and a sensor bar and try it with Skyward Sword for a few days to see if it works okay and if it doesn't I can always return it? I think Amazon offers free postage on returns.
(07-21-2020, 02:53 AM)segasega89 Wrote: [ -> ]The bluetooth adapter that I have is a "Mpow Bluetooth 4.0 USB" shown here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06X...UTF8&psc=1
It's what I use to play games on my PC with an Xbox One Controller.

Are you saying that the actual official Nintendo Wiimotes will work much better than the third party ones with this kind of USB Bluetooth dongle? 

I could just buy the third party Wiimote from Amazon and a sensor bar and try it with Skyward Sword for a few days to see if it works okay and if it doesn't I can always return it? I think Amazon offers free postage on returns.

I just bought one of those "Mayfair Dolphin Bars" off of Amazon and a third party Wii controller that has MotionPlus built into it. I bought these things after following this guy's tutorial on Youtube on how to use Dolphin with an actual Wii controller and sensor bar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSwgMQCeDwY&list=LLiNW0e_ZCJP8xoJxuYkUR1g&index=14

The Dolphin Bar connects to your PC via USB and then the Wii controller connects to the Dolphin Bar via Bluetooth I think.
They should both arrive before Friday and I'll test them out to see if they work with Skyward Sword. It's not the end of the world if they don't work.
Nintendo was still making Wii Remotes with Motion Plus built in for the Wii U and in many different colors so take a look at Amazon under Wii U for official Wii Remotes that work perfectly with Dolphin. I personally have a black one and am using one of my old White nunchuks with it and its working perfectly with the Dolphin Bar I have had for years at this point AKA had the bar well before bluetooth passthrough was a thing in dolphin so its what I have stuck to using since it works perfectly fine even for the likes of Skyward sword.

I have one from this link https://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-Wii-Remo...0094X28J0/ bought in August of 2017
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