A new update for System Font Replacer has been released, the Aroma plugin allows us to temporarily and safely replace the system font of the Wii U console .

The plugin is especially useful for those who want an aesthetic change from the default font or for those who want to complete a custom console menu theme without having to make permanent changes to the NAND.

No system files are modified by this plugin, as all changes are made inside RAM.

In this new release, custom fonts are now loaded on demand instead of at plugin initialization, thus reducing the risk of conflicts with other plugins, especially when using large font sizes.

Additionally, custom fonts are automatically reloaded every time you launch a game or application, eliminating the need to restart your console for changes to take effect.

By the way, the Aroma plugin menu is now no longer affected by custom fonts, thus improving interface consistency.

As for the support app, the update is limited to a minor code cleanup without introducing functional changes.

Usage

The plugin can load TrueType fonts from any location on the SD card, but it is recommended to place them in SD:/wiiu/fonts/, which is the default location. To use the plugin:

Open the WUPS menu ( + + ) and access the “System Font Replacer” menu.
Make sure the “Enabled” option is set to “yes”.
Select “Std Font” and press to change it.
- Press to enter a folder.
- Press to exit a folder.
- Press or to change the file.
- Press to reset to default value ( SD:/wiiu/fonts/).
- Press to confirm or to cancel.

If you select a directory, the original system font will be retained. Exit the plugin menu and restart the Wii U console.

Freezing, Crashing and Text Glitch Issues

Not all games/applications handle TTF fonts correctly. Some may not render them correctly or cause crashes. Do not report bugs related to crashes with specific fonts; it is a limitation of the game/app.

Large font file

Aroma plugins have a limited amount of memory. If the font file is too large, it may cause other plugins to malfunction. Fonts up to 2.5 MiB work normally, but larger fonts have not been tested.

Missing symbols

Some Wii U software uses the system font’s Private Use Area (PUA) block to display symbols for buttons and sticks.

If your replacement font does not include these symbols, your text may display incorrectly. You can modify your custom font to add the missing symbols with a Python script, merge-fonts.py, which uses FontForge .

Support script

merge-fonts.py: Copy PUA symbols from the original font to the custom one.
copy-pua.py: Copies only the PUA symbols, creating a smaller output font.

“Use custom fonts for Wii U menu only” option

If you disable this option, the custom font will be used throughout the system, but it may cause crashes. To avoid problems, leave this option set to “yes”.

App Helper

If you have a custom font in .bps, you can use the System Font Replacer Helper app to easily convert it to a .ttf. Just drop the files .bpsinto the folder SD:/wiiu/fonts/and launch the Helper app.

Changelog

Plugin Changes

Fonts are now loaded on demand instead of during plugin initialization, thus reducing the risk of conflicts with other plugins, especially when using large custom fonts, as they are loaded after the plugins.
Custom fonts are automatically reloaded every time you launch a game or application, eliminating the need to restart your console for changes to take effect.
The Aroma plugin menu is no longer affected by custom font.

[Wii U Scene] System Font Replacer v1.2 released