When we made the swap and I attempted a Bluetooth connection, it showed device code RVL-CNT-01, so it looked like I was perhaps in with a chance. I was just about to go hunting on auction sites and in second-hand game shops, when a friend reached out via Twitter who was willing to graciously swap his old Wiimote for my latest version. My Wii Remote Plus registered as the latter device code, so it looked like I’d just purchased a Wii Remote-shaped paperweight since I did not even have a Wii console to use it with. Reading it, I came to the understanding that standard (earlier-model) Wii Remotes and the first batch of released Wii Remote Pluses (both known by their device code RVL-CNT-01), seemed to have different (and incompatible) Bluetooth connection drivers to later batches of Wii Remote Pluses (device code RVL-CNT-01-TR). Searching the web led me to the site for the Dolphin Emulator, an emulator for the Gamecube and Wii on PC hardware, which has a Wii Remote Plus connection guide. That assumption was completely incorrect, and the Wiimote was promptly ignored by Mac OS when I tried to connect it. I assumed that since the Wii Remote Plus was a superior model to the original Wii Remote, once I got Remote Buddy working, connecting via Bluetooth would be plug ‘n’ play smooth. Since the connection and configuration of a Wiimote is not a native feature of Mac OS, I bought Remote Buddy to help me with that, since it seemed to be the most fully-featured software of the potential options I found.

When I first thought about the potential of connecting a Wiimote to my laptop via Bluetooth to use as a presentation remote, I immediately went out and bought a new Wii Remote Plus, because that was what was available at game stores. So, it is this process that I will attempt to shed some light on. However, it took a surprising amount of time and effort to finally figure out how to get a Wiimote connected to my Macbook Pro in 2017, and like plenty of developer tools, the process is certainly not straightforward. It also helps with being remembered after the presentation is finished (“You’re using a video game controller with your slides…?!”). In my opinion, its form factor, number of configurable buttons, and general whimsiness, make it way more interesting to use than any other commercial remote on the market. I use a Nintendo Wii Remote as my controller whenever I do a presentation.

Wii motion plus emulator mac