Can a PC run a game console's disc drive?

Hello, world! (Technological humor is technological...)

So I just watched Ben take apart a Wii U and a PS3 and realised that game consoles are basically just specialized PCs. So I was wondering, if I took out the Wii U's disc drive and plugged it into a PC, would the computer then be able to read Wii U discs? I've been fantasizing about building a home media centre for a long time, and I was wondering if, assuming I had all the necessary software in place, could a PC use a drive from a Wii U? Thanks!

--C. D.

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shabaz over 9 years ago

It is highly unlikely. I could be wrong but I think console manufacturers want to lock things down to prevent potentially copying games using a PC. So there may be sufficient driver differences or interface differences that would not allow the drive to function in a PC nor the disk to be read by a PC CDROM drive either perhaps.
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cmspooner over 9 years ago

Even if you could talk to the drive; and that assumed that they don't use custom drivers, the data on the disk is in a proprietary format and/or encrypted to help prevent piracy.
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