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| This setup lets you play Wii games on a TV with AYN Thor using real Wiimotes and a Dolphin Bar. |
By NinjaGuyX
Last week, I shared my thoughts on the AYN Thor, and in that article I showed one of my favourite setups: playing Wii games on the TV with real Wiimotes. A lot of people asked how to do it, so this week I’m walking through the full setup.
I’ll be honest, the first-time setup is not the simplest. The good news is you only need to do it once. After that, it’s basically plug, dock, and play.
Hardware You Need
First, the hardware. You’ll obviously need an AYN Thor. The base 8GB model is completely fine for this setup, so you do not need the top model just to make Wii work on a TV. I’m using the max version, but that part is not required.
Next, you need a USB-C dock with HDMI and at least one USB port. I’m using the Odin 2 Super Dock because it matches the device nicely, looks good in the living room, and lets me add extra storage so I don’t have to keep everything on the Thor itself.
One important note here: this dock does not come with a charger. Do not use a 20W charger. It is not enough. Use something closer to 100W so the whole setup runs properly.
You’ll also need a Dolphin Bar, which acts as the Wii sensor bar for the emulator, along with a real Wiimote. I highly recommend using a Nunchuk too, and you can connect up to four controllers if you want multiplayer.
Dolphin MMJR2 And One System Setting
For this setup, we are using Dolphin, but not the standard Android version.
Right now, the main Android build crashes when you connect a real Wiimote, so the better option here is Dolphin MMJR2. I have not had issues with it, and it has been much more reliable for this use case.
Before docking your Thor, there is one quick system setting to change.
Go to:
Settings -> Thor Settings -> Video Output -> turn off “Turn off handheld console’s screen.”
You need the built-in screen to stay on while docked for the initial setup.
Dolphin Settings To Change
This part looks like a lot, but remember, you only need to do it once.
In General, turn on Dual Core and Enable Cheats, then set the fallback region to NTSC-U.
In Interface, turn Panic Handlers off.
In Graphics, set the backend to Vulkan, turn on Compile Shaders Before Starting, set Internal Resolution to 3x (1080p), and turn VBI Skip on.
Docking The Thor And Syncing A Wiimote
Once that is done, plug the dock into power, connect HDMI to your TV, plug the Dolphin Bar into the dock’s USB port, and then dock the Thor.
At some point, you should get a prompt asking for access to the Dolphin Bar. It may not show up right away, so keep an eye out and accept it when it appears.
Now for the Wiimote setup.
Set the Dolphin Bar to Mode 4. This is required.
Press the sync button on the bar.
Then remove the battery cover on your Wiimote and press the small red sync button inside.
When the lights stop blinking and stay solid, the controller is connected.
After that, open Dolphin, tap the Wii Remote icon in the top right, and set Wii Remote 1 to Real Wii Remote.
Adding Games And Checking Your Controller
To add your games, tap the plus button, choose your Wii game folder, and select Use This Folder.
Your library should populate automatically with artwork.
If your games are stored on external storage through the dock, you may need to re-select that folder each time you dock the Thor. It is a little annoying, but it only takes a few seconds.
Once that is done, launch a game.
Swipe in from the left and tap Refresh Wii Remotes.
Your controller should vibrate, and you should see the pointer appear on screen. If that happens, you are good to go.
If it does not vibrate, do not panic. Close Dolphin completely, reopen the game, and refresh the Wii remotes again. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries, and that seems to be normal.
Fixing Input Lag On Your TV
You might be finished at this point, but if you notice input lag, even with your TV in Game Mode, there is one more thing worth checking.
On my TV, I had to go to:
Settings -> Channels & Inputs -> External Inputs -> HDMI Signal Format -> Enhanced
Your menu will probably look different, but look for anything related to Enhanced HDMI, input boost, or low latency.
Once I changed that, the delay was completely gone.
Ready To Play Wii On The Big Screen
And that’s it. The first-time setup is not the easiest, but once it is done, you can dock your Thor, grab a Wiimote, and play Wii games on the big screen the way they were meant to be played.
Games like Super Mario Galaxy, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and Red Steel work especially well with this setup.
If you want to build the same setup, here are the links:
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