Understanding the Wii Sensor Bar

To some the understanding the Wii sensor bar can look like a daunting task, but in reality it is incredibly simple. The sensor bar performs a very important function: it is the receiving end for all the motions of your Wii controller. The question that most people seem to have problems with is how the Wii sensor bar actually works. 

Functionality of the Wii Sensor Bar

Inside the long strip are two infrared sensors. Basically this is the same technology found in your television that lets you send commands to it through your remote control. These two infrared sensors send out light you can not see, but light that can be picked up by your remote control. It is this that allows your Wii remote to orient itself in space. By figuring out from the emitters where the wii sensor bar is, your remote can then figure out where it is relative to those bars and how far it moves when it is moved. The best way to think of this relationship is to imagine the Wii remote is a ship and the Wii Sensor Bar is a beacon. The ship, or remote, uses the bar as a known point in space to navigate off of. It can then retransmit this information to your Wii, letting it know how far, how fast, and where it was moved to. All of this is actually quite simple, but the results are amazing. There are games that do not require the Wii sensor bar to operate, but for most titles it is best to have it set up properly.

Setting Up Your Wii Sensor Bar

Be sure when you set up your Wii sensor bar that you have it in a high position so that it can be easily “seen” by the remotes. Also make sure that your remotes are within nine feet of the sensor bar, this is the optimum distance for receiving and transmitting signals between the remote and the sensor bar. Any farther than that and the remotes will have trouble picking up the light from the sensor bar. Make sure that there is nothing between your sensor bar and the remotes as you will have a difficult time calibrating the remotes correctly. It is key that the remotes and sensor bar are able to communicate to fully enjoy your Nintendo Wii game system. Once you have all this configured properly, you should be able to fully enjoy your Wii console. If you have further problems, contact Nintendo technical support.