The Wii U operating system also known internally as Cafe OS[3] is the official firmware version and system software for the Nintendo's Wii Uhome video game console. Nintendo maintains the Wii U's systemwide features and applications by offering system software updates via the Internet. Updates are optional to each console owner, but may be required in order to retain interoperability with Nintendo's online services. Each update is cumulative, including all changes from previous updates.
The system's official integrated development environment, named MULTI and published by embedded software engineering vendor Green Hills Software, is intended for use by Nintendo and its licensed developers in programming the Wii U. Details of the operating system's internal architecture have not been officially publicized.[4]
The Wii U Menu is the main dashboard of the system, acting as an application organizer and launcher. It is a graphical shell similar to the Wii's "Wii Menu" and Nintendo 3DSHOME Menu. It allows launching software stored on Wii U optical discs, applications installed in the internal memory or an external storage device, or Wii titles through the system's "Wii Mode". The WaraWara Plaza is displayed on the TV screen, while the Wii U GamePad screen displays the application icons available for launch; the two screens' display roles can be swapped with the press of a button.
Like the original Wii, discs can also be hot-swapped while in the menu. The Wii U Menu may also be used to launch applications entirely beyond just gaming: the Miiverse social network which is integrated with all games and applications; the Internet Browser for the World Wide Web; play media through Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu, YouTube, and more; download Wii U software and content through the Nintendo eShop; and receive official notifications from Nintendo.[5] System settings, parental controls and the activity log can also be launched through the menu.
The Wii U Menu is directly integrated with Miiverse and the Nintendo Network. When the Wii U powers on, the television screen shows the WaraWara Plaza in which user status and comments on Miiverse are shown. Each user is represented by their respective Mii and was associated with a Miiverse community.[6] Users could save any Mii on the WaraWara Plaza to their personal library, like their posts (with a "Yeah!"), write a comment, and send a friend request. Since Miiverse is discontinued, the WaraWara Plaza now only shows the built-in tips from Nintendo usually meant for offline users.
Home Menu
The Home Menu (stylized as HOME Menu) can be accessed during any game or application through the user pressing the Home Button on the Wii U GamePad, Wii U Pro Controller or Wii Remote. The Home Menu allows the user to launch certain multitasking applications, such as Miiverse, Nintendo TVii, Nintendo eShop, and the Internet Browser while a game or application is running.[7] It also displays various information such as date and time, the wireless signal status, controller battery life and controller settings. Current downloads can also be managed in the Download Manager (or in Notifications), which downloads and installs games and applications and their respective updates, as well as downloading system updates in the background.[8]
The Nintendo eShop is Nintendo's online digital distribution service, serving the Wii U, the Nintendo Switch, and the Nintendo 3DS handheld console. The eShop provides downloadable Wii U software titles (both retail and download only), Wii games, Virtual Console games, trial versions (demos), and various applications. It also allows users to purchase downloadable content (DLC) and automatically download patches for both physical and downloadable games. All content obtained from the Nintendo eShop is attached to a Nintendo Network ID but can only be used in one system. The Wii U allows background downloading via SpotPass, either while playing a game or application or in sleep mode. Up to ten downloads can be queued at a time and their status can be checked on the Download Manager application. A pop-up notification will appear on the Home Menu section to notify the user that a download is finished.
Unlike past Nintendo digital stores, such as the Wii Shop Channel and the Nintendo DSi Shop which used Nintendo Points as its currency, the Nintendo eShop uses the user's local currency using a digital wallet system whereby funds are added to and debited from the wallet. The user can add funds to their wallet in a number of ways either by credit or debit card or by purchasing Nintendo eShop cards. It is also possible to purchase download codes from select retailers and later redeem the on the eShop. On July 22, 2014, the Japanese Nintendo eShop was updated to support digital money cards to add funds to the user account's digital wallet via near field communication (NFC) on the Wii U GamePad. These cards are embedded with IC chips and are typically used to buy train or bus tickets as well as make purchases at convenience stores.[9]
The Nintendo eShop supports user software reviews. Users can submit a review with "stars" ranging from one to five, representing its quality in a crescent order. It is also possible to categorize the software on whether it is suitable for hardcore or for more casual players. Reviews can only be submitted after the software in review has been used for at least one hour.[10]
The ability to purchase content through the Nintendo eShop was discontinued on March 27, 2023.[11]
Miiverse (portmanteau of "Mii" and "Universe") was an integrated social networking service, which allowed players to interact and share their experiences through their own Mii characters. Miiverse allowed users to seamlessly share accomplishments, comments hand written and game screenshots notes with other users. Select games were integrated with Miiverse, where social interactions could also occur within the game. Miiverse was moderated through software filtering as well as a human resource team in order to ensure that the content shared by users was appropriate and that no spoilers were shared. In order to facilitate this, it was stated that comments posted could take up to 30 minutes to appear on Miiverse.[12]
On April 25, 2013, Miiverse also became available on web browsers for internet-enabled smartphone, tablet and PC devices.[13] It later became available for the Nintendo 3DS in December 2013. It was discontinued on November 8, 2017, along with Wii U Chat.[14]
Internet Browser
Internet Browser allows users to browse the web on the Wii U GamePad and/or the television screen. It functions as a multitasking application on the Wii U, so it can be used while another game or application is suspended in the background.[15] The browser is primarily controlled using the Wii U GamePad's touchscreen, or with the analog stick to scroll through web pages and the D-pad to cycle through links on the page, similar to using a keyboard. It can play HTML 5 video and audio in websites such as YouTube and various other social media.[16] The user can choose to hide the browser's view on the TV screen for privacy, which contains presentation effects such as the opening of stage curtains.[17] The user can also choose between the Google and Yahoo! search engines. There is a text wrap option to automatically wrap text to the width of the screen at different zoom levels. Users can also create bookmarks, with each user having its own set of personal bookmarks. The browser supports up to six tabs simultaneously.[18] Up to 32 pages can be stored into the browser's history before the older items start being replaced.
Nintendo TVii (pictured) was discontinued in 2015 in North America due to low users.
Nintendo TVii was a free television-based service which allowed users to find programs on Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Video, and on their cable network. Nintendo TVii also allowed users to control their TiVoDVR through the Wii U.[19] Users were then able to select the source of the program they wanted to watch and watch it on their television or on the Wii U GamePad.[20] By default, the GamePad screen showed information on the show currently being watched. This information included reviews, screenshots, cast lists, trailers, and other general information about the show provided by English Wikipedia, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, as well as other individual source services. Nintendo TVii also had a dedicated sports section where the user could view player positions and highlights of the match, updated in real-time.
Each user had their own personalized settings on Nintendo TVii, such as favorite shows and sports teams, their personal Mii, and any social network account integration. Users could then interact with friends and the community by sharing and commenting on reactions to live moments on the current show, on social networks such as Miiverse, Facebook, and Twitter, through the GamePad while the show played on the television screen.
Nintendo TVii was made available with the Wii U's release in Japan on December 8, 2012.[21] It was released in North America on December 20, 2012[22] and was scheduled to be released in Europe sometime in 2013,[23] but was never fulfilled. Nintendo UK later issued an apology and stated to expect further announcements in the "near future".[24] However, on February 14, 2015, Nintendo Europe officially confirmed that they had cancelled plans for the service's release in European countries "due to the extremely complex nature of localising multiple television services across a diverse range of countries with varied licensing systems".[25]
It was discontinued in the US on August 11, 2015, and removed from the Home Menu shortly after. It was discontinued in Japan on November 8, 2017, along with Miiverse and Wii U Chat.[26]
Other streaming service apps
Nintendo worked with YouTube, LoveFilm (United Kingdom and Ireland only), Nico Nico Douga and YNN! (Japan only) to bring streaming movie and television content to the Wii U. Nintendo had initially delayed the deployment of some media capabilities for the Wii U as it delayed its online infrastructure. Late in the launch day, a firmware update deployed the Netflix app.[27] Then, access to the Hulu Plus, Amazon Video, and YouTube apps gradually became active later in the launch week. On December 25, 2014, and without prior notice, Crunchyroll launched their eponymous app for the North American Wii U eShop,[28] and was later released for PAL systems by January 8, 2015.[29] Initially, despite being free to download, the content on the Crunchyroll app was only accessible to Premium account users, but this has since been fixed to allow access of all Crunchyroll members.[30] After a long delay and without prior notice, as of May 28, 2015, users with access to the Nintendo eShop for the United Kingdom can download the BBC iPlayer app.[31] On December 17, 2015, also without prior notice, the music streaming app Napster was released on the Wii U for eligible European countries,[32] and the app was later released in the United States on March 11, 2016, under the Rhapsody name.[33]
Wii U Chat was Nintendo's online video chat solution, powered by the Nintendo Network. The service allows the users to use the Wii U GamePad's front-facing camera to video chat with registered friends. While video chatting, only the Wii U GamePad is essentially needed, since the application is compatible with Off-TV Play. Users could draw pictures on the GamePad, on top of the video chat display.[34] If there is a game or another application already running, the GamePad's HOME button ring will flash indicating that there is an incoming call.
It is no longer available from November 7, 2017, along with Miiverse and TVii.[35]
Wii Street U
The Wii Street U logo
Wii Street U was a built-in mapapplication developed by Nintendo and Google for the Wii U. During a Nintendo Direct, Satoru Iwata revealed that Google Maps would be integrated with the panorama feature of the Wii U. The player could choose any place from around the globe to look at, use the street view feature and can use the Wii U GamePad.
This application was available on Wii U eShop as a free download until October 31, 2013, after which it became a paid app. Nintendo discontinued the app on March 31, 2016.[36]
Wii Karaoke U was a built-in karaokeapp developed by Nintendo and Joysound for the Wii U. It licenses the Joysound online song library from Japanese karaoke service provider Xing. The app can use both the Wii U GamePad's microphone and any universal USB microphone connected to the Wii U console.
The app requires an Internet connection for players to access new songs to download. Buying tickets for songs from the Nintendo eShop, players rent the songs they want to sing for a limited period (from 24 hours to up to 90 days) from Joysounds's song library. Choosing a stage to perform on, players are able to select their own Mii characters to represent themselves. Players are also able to adjust options such as echo, key and speed of the song, and other players can use their Wii Remotes to accompany the singer by playing instruments such as cymbals and maracas. The game includes a lesson mode which trains and quizzes players on tone and rhythm.
It was released as a free app, titled Wii Karaoke U by Joysound, on the Nintendo eShop in Europe, on October 4, 2013.[37]
Wii Mode is a fully virtualized Wii system, relaunching the Wii U to entirely become exactly like a Wii until it is relaunched into native mode. When a Wii game disc is inserted into the Wii U, an appropriate launchable icon appears on the Wii U Menu. Alternatively, the Wii U may be powered on while holding the B button. As with a native Wii system, the Wii Mode's internal storage memory is limited to 512 MB, and the SD Card Menu can utilize a card up to 2TB.
There are a few slight differences between the Wii U's Wii Mode and a native Wii system. The data management settings are accessible, but the Wii System Settings are not. The Wii Shop Channel is fully available for the purchase of Wii software; however, its Netflix, Hulu Plus, and YouTube applications cannot be used. The system must be relaunched into Wii U mode, in order to utilize the native versions of these applications.
In addition to running one primary game or application, the Wii U is capable of simultaneously opening select system applications. Once a primary application has been launched from the Wii U Menu, the user can then push the HOME button to temporarily suspend that application. One of the following applications may then be launched, and may possibly interoperate with the primary application, such as screenshots and game scores.
The Wii U launched with its system software at either version 1.0.1 or 1.0.2.[1] An update released on the same day added a web browser, Miiverse, a method of transferring data from a Wii, and a sandboxed way for owners to play Wii games, but not GameCube games.[39] On April 25, 2013, a major new update at version 3.0 improved system loading times and added automatic installation of downloaded software.[7] Version 4.0 released on September 30, 2013, added further features such as the ability to plug a headset directly into the GamePad for Wii U Chat, the ability to take screenshots and upload them through the web browser during gameplay, and support for USB keyboards and surround sound for Wii games.[40] On June 2, 2014, another major update with version number 5.0 was released, with added abilities to display a Quick Start Menu and Wii U GamePad Alerts in addition to other changes.[41] The version that immediately followed (5.1.0) added the support for Wii U to Wii U System Transfer.[42]
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection was an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo that formerly provided free online play in compatible Nintendo DS and Wii games. The service included the company's Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop game download services. It also ran features for the Wii and Nintendo DS systems.
The Wii Shop Channel is a discontinued digital distribution service for the Wii video game console. The service allowed users to purchase and play additional software for the Wii, including exclusive games, and games from prior generations of video games. The Wii Shop Channel launched on November 19, 2006, and ceased operations on January 30, 2019.
A Mii is a customizable avatar used on several Nintendo video game consoles and mobile apps. The name Mii is a portmanteau of "Wii" and "me", referring to them typically being avatars of the players. Miis were first introduced on the Wii console in 2006 and later appeared on the DS, 3DS, the Wii U, the Switch, and various apps for smart devices such as Miitomo. Miis can be created using different body, facial and clothing features, and can then be used as characters within games on the consoles, either as an avatar of a specific player or in some games portrayed as characters with their own personalities. Miis can be shared and transferred between consoles, either manually or automatically with other users over the internet and local wireless communications.
WiiWare was a service that allowed Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications could only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section. Once the user had downloaded the game or application, it would appear in their Wii Menu or SD Card Menu as a new channel. WiiWare was a companion to the Virtual Console, which specializes in emulated games originally developed for other systems instead of original games.
The Wii system software is a discontinued set of updatable firmware versions and a software frontend on the Wii home video game console. Updates, which could be downloaded over the Internet or read from a game disc, allowed Nintendo to add additional features and software, as well as to patch security vulnerabilities used by users to load homebrew software. When a new update became available, Nintendo sent a message to the Wii Message Board of Internet-connected systems notifying them of the available update.
The Japanese multinational consumer electronics company Nintendo has developed seven home video game consoles and multiple portable consoles for use with external media, as well as dedicated consoles and other hardware for their consoles. As of September 30, 2021, in addition to Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has sold over 863.07 million hardware units.
The Nintendo DSi system software is a discontinued set of updatable firmware versions, and a software frontend on the Nintendo DSi video game console. Updates, which are downloaded via the system's Internet connection, allow Nintendo to add and remove features and software. All updates also include all changes from previous updates.
Karaoke Joysound (カラオケJOYSOUND) is a karaoke service and online song library from Japanese karaoke service provider Xing. The Joysound service, which started on various karaoke computers, was adapted into a video game by Hudson Soft for Wii, licensing the Joysound online song library alongside Xing, who also helped co-develop the game with Hudson. The game was originally released in a retail package with an included USB microphone on December 18, 2008 in Japan, and was later released there as a downloadable WiiWare game on July 28, 2009.
The Nintendo 3DS is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, produced until 2020. The system features backward compatibility with the Nintendo DS's library of video games. As an eighth-generation console, its primary competitor was Sony's PlayStation Vita.
The Nintendo 3DS system software is an updatable operating system used for the Nintendo 3DS handheld system. The Nintendo Switch system software is believed to have evolved from the Nintendo 3DS operating system.
The Wii U is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The Nintendo eShop is a digital distribution service for the Nintendo Switch, and formerly available via the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the Nintendo eShop served as the successor to both the Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop. It is also a multitasking application, which means it is easily accessible even when a game is already running in the background through the system software. The Nintendo eShop features downloadable games, demos, applications, streaming videos, consumer rating feedback, and other information on upcoming game releases. The service was discontinued globally for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS in March 2023, continuing only on the Switch.
The Wii U GamePad is the standard game controller for Nintendo's Wii U home video game console. Incorporating features from tablet computers, the GamePad has traditional input methods, touchscreen controls, and motion controls. The touchscreen can be used to supplement a game by providing alternate, second screen functionality or an asymmetric view of a scenario in a game. The screen can also be used to play a game strictly on the GamePad screen without the use of a television display. Conversely, non-gaming functions can be assigned to it as well, such as using it as a television remote.
The Nintendo Network was an online service formerly ran by Nintendo that provided free online functionalities for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U systems and their compatible games. Launched in 2012, it was Nintendo's second online service after Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection; the Nintendo Network was not a component of the Nintendo Switch, which only uses the subscription-based Nintendo Switch Online, although Nintendo Network IDs were able to be linked to the Switch via Nintendo Accounts.
Art Academy is a series of edutainment video games beginning in 2009 with Art Academy. Its most recent release was Disney Art Academy. One of Nintendo's franchises, the series has been released on Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.
Miiverse is a discontinued social network for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U that was created by Nintendo System Development and Hatena, and powered by the Nintendo Network. Integrated into many games, Miiverse allowed players to interact and share their experiences by way of handwritten messages or drawings, text, screenshots, and sometimes game videos in dedicated communities. It was available via any web browser, and a dedicated app version was originally planned for tablets and smartphones. All users who signed up for a Nintendo Network ID were automatically given a Miiverse profile per account, represented by the Mii avatar connected to said Nintendo Network ID.
Animal Crossing Plaza was a social networking service developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It was a spin-off of the Animal Crossing series, associated with Animal Crossing: New Leaf for the Nintendo 3DS. The application allowed players to socialize via Miiverse, Nintendo's now-defunct social networking service; players could share images from their New Leaf save file and interact with others, among other features. It was announced and released on August 7, 2013, in Japan and North America and the following day in Europe. The application is no longer actively supported by Nintendo, and was removed from the Nintendo eShop on December 22, 2014.
My Nintendo is a loyalty program provided by Nintendo and the successor to Club Nintendo. The system allows players to earn points from using software or purchasing games, which can then be spent on rewards such as digital games or discounts. The program launched worldwide in March 2016, releasing alongside Nintendo's first mobile app, Miitomo.
Wii Karaoke U by Joysound is a karaoke video game for the Wii U eShop. It was developed by TOSE Software and published by Nintendo. The game is a successor to the Wii game Karaoke Joysound, licensing the same Joysound online song library. The game was free to download but required the purchase of a karaoke ticket to sing songs, as well as an internet connection.
↑ "Wii U - Nintendo eShop" (in Japanese). Nintendo. Archived from the original on July 31, 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2014. また、ほかのプレイヤーの評価や『Miiverse』に投稿されたコメントを見ることもできます（予定）。
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