The First Software Update in Over Two Years

[phofufury]

Nintendo just released a software update for the Wii U. It's been over two years since a software update. The description of the update is very vague though, as it says, “Further improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been made to enhance the user experience.” Not much to go by there.

Nintendo just released the first Wii U update since 2018

 

[Crowing]

Probably made to shut down whatever online services are still standing, I'd guess. Can't see them making any actual "improvements" to a console they've stopped supporting. Unless it's going to get them more money, they wouldn't bother, there's no reason to add anything to their dying console.

...Scratch that, not dying. Dead. The Wii U is a dead console, it failed, they're not gonna "improve" it.

 

[Artisan]

It's to prevent homebrew from what I can think up. I don't own the console. All the games it has the Switch also has so I really don't see myself ever getting the brick with a Leap Pad controller. It did have DS support but the DS did it better and cheaper. It did have Virtual console and Wii support but the Wii although dead used to have Virtual console and it competes with other Nintendo/retro consoles. It was hard to program. It's only original successful title was Smash although the series lives on this one was a step in the right direction.

Should they really be updating it more at this point or are they doing it to claim to be productive?

 

[Crowing]

Maybe they're gonna shut down the eShop so we have to pay for their overpriced Switch ports instead.

This is mostly a joke, but in 2021, I would not be surprised at all. There was already that backlash from when Pikmin 3 disappeared if I recall correctly. Even now, the price of Switch games is a major criticism of the console, so if Nintendo were to take them off the Wii U's eShop entirely, they would have an excuse for forcing people to buy on the Switch instead.

There would still be immense backlash, of course. But I wouldn't put it past Nintendo to do it anyway.

 

[phofufury]

I really don't see myself ever getting the brick with a Leap Pad controller.

that controller was pretty thicc. I do have the console, but it's somewhere in a bunch of boxes, but looking back, the console was pretty ugly. We went from wii sticks, to a wii brick.

 

[Crowing]

I actually kind of liked the ancient stone slab Wii U controller, but maybe I'm blind from nostalgia. Having a miniature screen was quite nice but I guess that's gonna be every Nintendo controller from now on anyway.

Then again, in retrospect, the Switch really doesn't have much going for it as a console like the 3DS/Wii U did. It's got no AR cards, exclusive social media or even a browser, not even game folders and it's been four years. The Switch is pretty much only there to play games with and has no charm whatsoever.

Even though the Wii U bombed, at least it had charm.

 

[phofufury]

I actually kind of liked the ancient stone slab Wii U controller, but maybe I'm blind from nostalgia. Having a miniature screen was quite nice but I guess that's gonna be every Nintendo controller from now on anyway.

Then again, in retrospect, the Switch really doesn't have much going for it as a console like the 3DS/Wii U did. It's got no AR cards, exclusive social media or even a browser, not even game folders and it's been four years. The Switch is pretty much only there to play games with and has no charm whatsoever.

Even though the Wii U bombed, at least it had charm.

that is true, however, it has waaay more games than previous consoles. plus, the xbox one, when it was released, was criticized for being a social console instead of a gaming console. The switch does have Hulu, YouTube, and more recently, Funimation. Imo tho, it would be nice to have a browser on the switch.

 

[Crowing]

that is true, however, it has waaay more games than previous consoles. plus, the xbox one, when it was released, was criticized for being a social console instead of a gaming console. The switch does have Hulu, YouTube, and more recently, Funimation. Imo tho, it would be nice to have a browser on the switch.

I suppose. Besides, most people don't really care about all these cool features like the 3DS and Wii U had, it's a games console and it's designed to play games. That's all people want. However, I've enjoyed these smaller features, it was always what gave Nintendo it's charm. Now they feel like another generic soulless company.

Ah well. Farewell, Wii U. Guess this "update" will be the last of your days as ol' Ninty finally shuts off your life support and instead goes to focus on extorting money out of poor gamers. You were a good console, Wii U, you will be missed.

 

[ariamisu]

it appears to be a means to do off with extra means of usage “homebrew” that could be make wii u targeted for more illicit means.
its not for quality of like as they abandoned the system long before they ended support for 3ds.
nintendo still wants you to forget that the wii u system exists.
they do not want it to become a pure homebrew machine long after its support ended.

 

[Duffy]

Yeah I think as others have said it's mostly about safety of the machine and prevention of hacking. Homebrew is fun but nintendo really wants to prevent it. Aside from the small sliver of hombrewers on wii u, this shouldn't affect much. It might be more annoying in the future for those who want a wii u to play lots of legacy games (that weren't officially available) or just to homebrew. I'm sure homebrewers will find workarounds though, they usually seem to.

 

[ariamisu]

indeed eventually those who are talented in getting around this kind of stuff will find a way around it to make it become a thing again with some time as at some point nintendo wont give more updates to older systems that they have stopped support for so this update is just a temporary delay measure in the lomg run , it wont stop that homebrew from being usable forever.

 

[Eric Cartman]

It's crazy that they are still updating the wii u in my opinion. I mean like the switch just turned 4 years old recently. I expected the wii u to not be supported by now. I very confused why they are even updating the wii u in 2021 to begin with. I still have my wii u and its on system firmware 5.5.2. Idk if its to stop modding or homebrew or anything. It's kinda weird.

 

[phofufury]

It's crazy that they are still updating the wii u in my opinion. I mean like the switch just turned 4 years old recently. I expected the wii u to not be supported by now. I very confused why they are even updating the wii u in 2021 to begin with. I still have my wii u and its on system firmware 5.5.2. Idk if its to stop modding or homebrew or anything. It's kinda weird.

it seems to be they stopped homebrewing from most of these comments. Idk, this may be the last update imo, and it would make sense for it to stop homebrew.

 

[Jisenku]

Nintendo just released a software update for the Wii U. It's been over two years since a software update. The description of the update is very vague though, as it says, “Further improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been made to enhance the user experience.” Not much to go by there.

Nintendo just released the first Wii U update since 2018

It's crazy that they are still updating the wii u in my opinion. I mean like the switch just turned 4 years old recently. I expected the wii u to not be supported by now. I very confused why they are even updating the wii u in 2021 to begin with. I still have my wii u and its on system firmware 5.5.2. Idk if its to stop modding or homebrew or anything. It's kinda weird.

It's probably just to stop modding on the system, as there's no difference between the two updates in my opinion. “Further improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been made to enhance the user experience,” literally just means internal updates (probably trying to knock out some ways to homebrew, which in my opinion is really stupid)