How to install Cemu emulator on PC Windows 32/64 bit Wii U

Cemu emulator is a software to emulate Wii U games and applications on PC compatible with Windows OS.

At this point Cemu emulator can already be considered highly optimized and possible future optimizations will only arrive in small and incremental steps.

This guide explains how to install Cemu emulator on PC compatibles with Windows OS.

Software requirements

You can find all required data for your device from the link buttons below:

Cemu emulator	Download
Microsoft Visual C++	Download

The software requirements for running this application must be met in order for the software to function at all.

System requirements

The hardware requirements for running the application vary depending on your current configuration.

Recommended requirements

OS	Windows 7 (or higher)
CPU	x64 Octa core (or higher)
RAM	8 GB (or more)
GPU	OpenGL 4.5 or Vulkan 1.1 (or newer)
Storage	SSD or HDD 5 GB (or more)

Our recommended specifications don’t guarantee perfect performance in most games, but rather strive to provide a cost effective recommendation while still considering performance.

Minimum requirements

OS	Windows 7 (or higher)
CPU	x86 Quad core (or higher)
RAM	4 GB (or more)
GPU	OpenGL 4.5 or Vulkan 1.1 (or newer)
Storage	SSD or HDD 1 GB (or more)

We cannot guarantee the performance of system specifications lower the recommended requirements but you’re always welcome to experiment.

Install emulator

Extract the Cemu .zip file to your Desktop
- Do not extract it to any folders that require admin permissions, such as Program Files
Right click on the Cemu executable
Click Properties
Navigate to the Compatibility tab
Enable the option “Disable full-screen optimizations“
Click on Change high DPI settings
Enable “Use this setting to fix scaling problems for this program instead of the one in settings“
Enable “Override high DPI scaling behaviour. Scaling performed by: Application“
Click Apply -> OK

These options are set to help avoid issues on various Windows versions, and display resolutions.

That said, one or more of these options will not be necessary for everyone, but not setting them may result in complications.

Configuration

Double click the Cemu application
Create a folder in a safe location named “mlc01“
Leave the “Game path” field blank
Click “Download community graphic packs“
Click Next
Enable “Automatically check for updates” (If you do not wish to get update notifications, you may disable this option and update Cemu emulator manually with an option under the Help menu)
Click Close

Cemu emulator is capable of running most commercial games at full speed, provided you meet the necessary hardware requirements.

Controller configuration

Open the Cemu application
On the top bar, go to Options -> Input settings
Change Emulated controller to “Wii U GamePad”
Click on the Controller field
Set API to “SDLController”
Set Controller to your desired controller
- If no controller appears after connecting it to your computer, try changing your controller API
Proceed to map all your controller button inputs
If you would like to add another controller input, press the + button next to the Controller field
- This has many uses, such as using two Nintendo Switch Joy-Con’s, or using a phone for motion input
To enable motion controls or rumble, click Settings and change the corresponding settings
At the top, enter in a controller profile name, e.g. “GamePad Controller”
Click Save

Motion control support can vary between controllers. Nintendo Switch, Dualshock 4 and DualSense controllers all have support for motion controls. Using the SDL controller API, this will be automatically detected.

Other controllers, such as Xbox controllers, do not support motion controls and will require alternative methods to enable them.

Regular buttons should still work, however.

Update emulator

This application is from a third-party developer, so an automatic update won’t be available.

You will need to manually update the app by removing the old version and installing the new version on the download section.

All the updates have the latest fixes and optimizations, but their constantly changing nature means that little testing has been done on them and unknown bugs may appear.

License

Nintendo Wii U is a trademark of Nintendo Co., Ltd
Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation

This project is not meant for illegal activities, and we have a strict policy about piracy.

All resources are obtained via reverse engineering of legally owned devices, games, and information present on the internet.

The main objective of this project is to enhance the gaming experience, research, and provide education about the core concepts of device emulation.

FAQ

This guide/tutorial answers the following questions:

How to install Cemu emulator on PC?
How do I install Nintendo Wii U emulator on Windows?
Can I run Cemu emulator on PC?
How do I download Cemu emulator for Windows?
How can I play Nintendo Wii U games on Windows?