After months of fakes, a proper Wii U emulator is finally available for download—even if it is still rather janky. According to the developer, Cemu contains "basically no optimizations whatsoever," no proper controller support, and no audio. For the time being, it’s only for Windows x64, although other platforms might eventually be supported. Ignoring all these caveats, it's actually quite impressive if these videos are any indication of how far it’s come already.

Cemu, which is currently in what has been termed as its “proof-of-concept release” stage, requires OpenGL 3.3 to operate. It has an internal resolution of 1920×1080, and can run encrypted Wii U images (WUD) and RPX/RPL files. If you want to launch a game, it will need to be in raw dump format (WUS or ISO). There are plans to release updates on a fortnightly basis, although nothing has been set in stone as of yet. Interestingly, Cemu defies current emulator trends by not being an open-source project.

Exzap, the primary force behind Cemu, began the project about two years ago, but cites effective development time as 6 months. Based on a thread on the GBAtemp forums, this could be attributed to the emergence of the Wii U common key earlier this year. While many have speculated that Cemu was based on the Wii emulator Dolphin, Exzap says it was built entirely from scratch—a fact that was corroborated by Delroth, who worked on Dolphin. Delroth explained that the only thing in common between the Wii U and Wii is the CPU architecture.

Exciting as Cemu might be, it seems somewhat unlikely that Nintendo will condone its existence. Earlier this year, the company’s American arm sent a takedown request to GitHub, asking that a JavaScript-based Game Boy emulator be removed from its code repository. Before that, Nintendo shut down homebrew DS carts, and filed complaints against a fan-made remake Super Mario 64. It’s only a matter of time, it seems, before Cemu faces the same, especially considering the fact that Nintendo is still actively developing for the Wii U.

Which would be a shame, really. Putting aside the legalities of the situation, emulators represent an interesting option for historical preservation. As companies cease support for older systems and machines submit to time’s predations, older games stand the risk of being lost forever. Having said that, we've got a not insignificant number of Wii Us in the world right now.