How To: Connect your Wiimote to your computer via Bluetooth

Did you know the Wiimote's capabilities reach far beyond the uses Nintendo is limiting it to? It's true, and in this tutorial I will show you how to connect your Wiimote to your computer and open up a limitless range of opportunities.

Most people don't know that the Wiimote communicates with the Wii via a Bluetooth wireless link. The Bluetooth controller is a Broadcom 2042 chip, which is designed to be used with devices which follow the Bluetooth Human Interface Device (HID) standard, such as keyboards and mice. The Bluetooth HID is directly based upon the USB HID standard, and much of the same documentation applies.

The Wiimote is capable of transmitting huge amounts of data to the Wii (Nintendo just isn't utilizing it's capabilities thus far). By using the internal Bluetooth wireless link, you can connect your Wiimote to your PC (any OS), and use it with a wide range of applications already made for the Wiimote.

So check out the next step and I will show you what you need to do.

Note: If any of you are having difficulties with this, just send me a message here. I'll be glad to answer any questions you may have.

Step 1: What you are going to need

First, you need to find out if your computer has an internal Bluetooth adapter. While some desktop computers have an internal Blutooth adapter, most require an external Bluetooth dongle. Most recent laptops come with a built-in Bluetooth adapter. To check if you have a built-in adapter, look at your PC specifications.

Note, if you need a Bluetooth adapter, I recommend buying one here . That's the exact same one that I use, it's cheap and it comes with the BlueSoleil driver 2.6.0.8 on an installation disk.

If you don't have BlueSoleil already installed, you can download the latest BlueSoleil drivers from their website

Also, you're obviously going to need a Wiimote to connect to your computer!

Step 2: Connecting your Wiimote

First, start up your BlueSoleil Software and activate your Bluetooth adapter if needed.

Then press the 1+2 buttons on your Wiimote simultaneously and click on the center of the orange circle. It will take a few seconds to find it. You need to make sure that the LEDs on the Wiimote are blinking the whole time, you can either press them the whole time or every couple seconds.

Note: If BlueSoleil does not detect your device on the first attempt, unplug your Bluetooth device (or shut it off) and plug it back in. Then press the center orange circle and try again.

When the Wiimote is recognized, it's name will be NINTENDO-RVT-CNT-01. When that shows up on the screen, press the 1+2 buttons again and then right click the Wiimote icon and choose Refresh Services .

You will now see that the Human Interface Device icon at the top of the window is in a box and highlighted yellow. Click that HID icon at this point. The Wiimote icon and Bluetooth HID button should now be highlighted green, and there should be a dotted green line going from the Wiimote icon to the center orange circle (this means it is connected).

You are done! You can now use your Wiimote with programs such as GlovePIE , WiinRemote , and Wiinstrument .

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial and have fun with your Wiimotes!

Step 3: Some Fun Extras

Now I'll show you just some cool stuff you can do with your Wiimote connected to your computer.

I have done this one myself over the past couple weeks (lots and lots of fun!), Johnny Chung Lee is really a genius and his Wiimote Projects are well worth a look.

You can download the software for this at Johnny Chung Lee's Wiimote Project page just like every other one of his Wiimote Projects.

This is the Wiinstrument, it's still in beta but it's coming along nicely and you can download the first versions here.

Neat little project to use with NASA World Wind.

While this isn't practical, it's still neat.

Comments

[yapoyo]

it seems that bluesoleil is a windows only application.... and I have a mac

[Computothought]

Forgive me If I am repeating someone. This instructable seems to be just for MSWindows. You can use the willmote on linux too. Even for xmbc and mythtv. There is already a zillion tutorials on how to do it. All the software needed is pretty much in the repositories for most distros..

[Popopopper]

I figured out how to do this easily on a mac! just first go to system preferences, then go to bluetooth, then click the "+" button, then repeatedly press the 1 and 2 buttons until something with the word nintendo shows up, then, while repeatedly pressing the 1 and 2 buttons, click on the thing that showed up and click pair. DO NOT stop pressing the 1 and 2 buttons until the pairing process is complete.

[RSV26]

my PS3 has bluetooth will it work with out mesing it up? just for fun

[Nathsem]

Hi, I have tried this over and over and over again and it hasn't worked. Here's a screencast of me trying to get the WiiMote and my Laptop paired up to play games using Dolphin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANcOeAnySp0

[n1cod3mus]

I have this issue sometimes, I just make sure I keep the remote on, just keep pressing 1 + 2 so it doesnt turn off.

you dont need the bluesoleil if your using the built in drivers

[saurabhgangarde]

BlueSoleil drivers' link is not working for me. Can some1 please confirm the same. Or share any other link.

[n1cod3mus]

I used windows 7 drivers for the blue tooth, havnt had a problem

[Shade95]

Hey, i have my wiimote appearing and everything, but when i connect it, it just stays on the connecting stage forever. Im using BlueSoleli 8.

[crown3DS]

thanks for your sharing,i bought my Wii Bluetooth Wireless Remote and Nunchuck Nunchuk Controller from http://www.digitopz.com/wii-bluetooth-wireless-remote-and-nunchuck-nunchuk-controller-p-156.html , and follow the guide you shared,it works . Thx ~!

[kswaminathan]

Can i keep 100% belief on this? Will it work?Can i buy the wii remote believing this?

[acosmicist]

It depends specifically on what you believe about it. If you believe that you wil be able to use your wiimote as a pointing devices solely by the bluetooth connection, you have very wrong beliefs.

You'll be able to connect it as a HID (Human Interface Device) - but in order to use it as a mouse pointing device, you have to have some way of transmitting the sensor bar data to your PC

[psphaxzor]

the sensor bar doesn't transmit data.

[acosmicist]

I'm aware of that...

I don't know why the hell I said it like that.

What I should have said was that he'd need a sensor bar of some kind in order for the wiimote to detect its own orientation and transmit that data to the PC.

Thank you for pointing that out, though.

[Dallins11]

cool!!!

[Kozar]

Is there possibly a freeware bluetooth stack that can operate with the bluetooth dongle in this instructable? (that's the same one I have)

[pietzeekoe]

Will one of them mini bluetooth dongle work?

[zack247]

i just got a new-ish laptop, it has bluetooth built in and im going to try this!

[Computothought]

Bought a coupple of cheap bluetooth adapters when fry's was dumping airlink for about 5 bucks each. I think I have a wii controller clone. Worked just fine with linux.

[elmanual]

it worked fine on my ubuntu machine but its a nyko brand it wont work on my win7 machine.

[Computothought]

The little time I played with 27, I found a lot of things that will not work with it. to be honest, we have been MS free for almost 4 years. I do not have an mswindows machine to test it on.

[craig3]

Just by coincidence, i bought the same bluetooth thing as that, got it today but when i try to set it all up, on the last step rather than being the green line and all finished, on the green line is a red arrow that follows the line from remote to the orange orb, and the wii remote lights flash constantly, is this normal?

[The Uber Maker]

Hey Craig, that problem can sometimes be resolved by holding the red "sync" button in the wiimote's battery compartment for about 10 seconds and then retrying the process. Hope it all works out!

[craig3]

I appreciate the help, but unfortunately it didnt really work.
Is that red dot think move up the line meant to be there?

[elmanual]

Does it have to be a real wii controller or can it be like a nyko wii controller cause it works on my ubuntu machine but in window it disconnects all the time and i cant find whats wrong.

[wharjj01]

I cant connect my wii remote to my computer please somebody help. I can't skip the passcode process and do not know what to do.

[Winko]

No passcode needed

[vivchawda]

do i need a wii or will the wiimote work without it??

[Winko]

WiiMote will work without WII

Regards,

WInko

[The Uber Maker]

You don't need a Wii for this or any of the projects I suggest at the end. All you need is a Wiimote and for some of the projects you may need an IR LED array.

[ItsTheHobbs]

pc only? if it is my mac is too good for this

[Winko]

MAC and WiiMote works, no GlovePie there. But PureData works

Regards,

Winko

[Joanassie]

(removed by author or community request)

[flymudpie]

Not every knows that so be a little kinder next time.

[ItsTheHobbs]

That wasn't very nice, and I take "get a brain cell transplant" as an insult. (Even though a single brain cell wouldn't make a difference) I also do not understand how I, as one tiny person, could send my brainwaves, and make people start killing people.

[Joanassie]

Sorry, I was having an off day and felt annoyed. I think, though, that I meant people would copy your ignorant habits when I said "before your ignorance spreads". I happen to occasionally get angry.

[ItsTheHobbs]

Yeah, I have really bad off days.

[ItsTheHobbs]

I bet I can have a more off off day than you and get angrier!

[spock155]

-scoffs- internet trolls

[mage]

dont feed the trolls