Wii U system software

The Wii U menu is the main panel of the system, acting as an organizer and application launcher. This is a graphical shell, similar to the Wii Menu and Nintendo 3DS HOME Menu. This allows you to run software stored on Wii U optical discs, applications installed in the internal memory or external storage device, or Wii names through the system “Wii mode”. WaraWara Plaza is displayed on the TV screen, and application icons that can be launched are displayed on the Wii U GamePad; The displayed roles of the two screens can be replaced with one touch of a button. As in the original Wii, drives can also be hot-swappable in the menu. The Wii U menu can also be used to launch applications that are completely beyond the scope of only games: the Miiverse social network, which is integrated with all games and applications; Internet browser for the World Wide Web; play media through Netflix , Amazon Video , Hulu , YouTube and more; Download Wii U software and content via Nintendo eShop; receive official notifications from Nintendo. System settings, parental controls and activity logs can also be launched from the menu.

The Wii U menu is directly integrated with Miiverse and the Nintendo network. When the Wii U turns on, the WaraWara Plaza appears on the TV screen displaying user status and comments on Miiverse. Each user is represented by their respective Mii and is often associated with the Miiverse community. Users can save any Mii on WaraWara Plaza to their personal library, for example, their records (with “Yes!”), Write a comment and send a friend request.

The main menu (styled as the HOME menu) can be accessed during any game or application by pressing the Home button on the Wii U GamePad, Wii U Pro Controller or Wii Remote. The main menu allows the user to launch certain multitasking applications, such as Miiverse, Nintendo TVii, Nintendo eShop and an Internet browser while the game or application is running. It also displays various information such as date and time, the status of the wireless signal, the autonomy of the controller, and the settings of the controller. The current download can also be monitored in the download manager, which downloads and installs games and applications and their respective updates, and also downloads system updates in the background.

Nintendo eShop is a Nintendo online distribution service serving both the Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS handheld console. The eShop features downloadable versions of the Wii U software (for both retail and download), 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 physical and downloadable games. All content received from Nintendo eShop is attached to the Nintendo network ID, but can only be used in one system. Wii U allows you to download a background via SpotPass during a game or application or in standby mode. You can simultaneously queue up to ten downloads, and you can check their status in the Download Manager. A popup notification will appear in the “Main Menu” section to notify the user that the download is complete.

Unlike past Nintendo digital stores, such as the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop, which used Nintendo Points as currency, Nintendo eShop uses the user's local currency using a digital wallet system, through which funds are added and removed from the wallet. The user can replenish his wallet in several ways: by credit or debit card or by purchasing Nintendo eShop cards. It is also possible to purchase download codes from selected retailers and later purchase them from the online store. On July 22, 2014, the Japanese Nintendo eShop was updated to support digital cash cards for depositing an account in a digital wallet account via NFC on the Wii U GamePad. These cards are embedded in chips and are usually used to buy train or bus tickets, as well as shopping in stores.

Nintendo eShop supports user software reviews. Users can post a review with stars from one to five, presenting its quality in the order of a crescent. You can also classify software, whether it is suitable for hardcore or for more ordinary players. Reviews can only be submitted after the software in the review has been used for at least one hour. [In the future] it will be possible to attach Miiverse messages to each review.

Miiverse (the purse “Mii” and “Universe”) is an integrated social network that allows players to interact and share their experiences using their own Mii characters. Miiverse allows users to easily share achievements, handwritten comments, and screenshots comments of the game with other users. Choose games are integrated with Miiverse, where social interactions can also occur in the game. Miiverse is moderated using software filtering, as well as staff teams to ensure that the content shared by users is appropriate and that no spoilers are shared. In order to facilitate this, it was stated that “Miiverse” can appear up to 30 minutes.

April 25, 2013 Miiverse also became available in web browsers for smartphones, tablets and PCs with Internet support. It later became available for the Nintendo 3DS in December 2013. Nintendo also plans to launch Miiverse's dedicated app for smartphones and tablets in the future. In 2017, Nintendo closed the Miiverse.

Internet browser allows users to browse the web on the Wii U GamePad and / or on the TV screen. It functions as a multitasking app on Wii U, so it can be used when another game or application is suspended in the background. The browser is controlled using the Wii U GamePad touchscreen or using an analog stick to scroll through web pages and a D-pad to cycle through links on a page, like using a keyboard. It can play HTML 5 video and audio on websites such as YouTube and other social networks. The user can hide the browser view on the TV screen to ensure privacy, which includes presentation effects such as the opening of the embellished curtains. The user can also choose between Google and Yahoo! Search engines. There is a text wrapping option to automatically wrap text across the screen at different zoom levels. Users can also create bookmarks, each of which has its own set of personal bookmarks. The browser supports up to six tabs simultaneously. Browser history can store up to 32 pages before replacing old items.

Nintendo TVii was a free TV service that allows users to find programs on Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Video and their cable network. Nintendo TVii also allows users to control their TiVo through a Wii U. Users can then select the source of the program they want to watch and watch it on their TV or Wii U GamePad. By default, the GamePad screen displays information about the previewed display. This information includes reviews, screenshots, broadcast lists, trailers and other general information about the show, presented by English Wikipedia, IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, as well as other individual sources. Nintendo TVii also has a special section in which the user can view player positions and highlights of the match, updated in real time.

Each user has their own settings on Nintendo TVii, such as their preferences, favorite shows and sports teams, personal Mii and social network account integration. Users can then interact with their friends and the community by chatting and commenting on the reaction to live moments on the current show, on social networks such as Miiverse, Facebook and .Twitter, via the GamePad while they watch their shows on the TV screen.

Nintendo TVii was released with the release of the Wii U in Japan on December 8, 2012. It was released in North America on December 20, 2012 and was supposed to be released in Europe in 2013, but was never completed. Nintendo UK has since apologized and said it expects further announcements in the “near future.” However, on February 14, 2015, Nintendo Europe officially confirmed that they canceled plans to launch a service in European countries "given the extremely complex nature of the localization of many television services in different countries with different licensing systems."

Nintendo also works with YouTube, LoveFilm (in the UK and Ireland only), Nico Nico Douga and YNN! (Japan only) to bring streaming video and TV content to the Wii U. Nintendo initially delayed the deployment of some multimedia capabilities for the Wii U, as it delayed its online infrastructure. Late on the launch day, the firmware update deployed the Netflix application. Then, access to the Hulu Plus, Amazon Video and YouTube applications was gradually activated later in the week of launch. December 25, 2014 and without prior notice, Crunchyroll launched its eponymous application for the North American Wii U eShop, and was later released for PAL systems before January 8, 2015. Initially, despite the possibility of free download, the content on the Crunchyroll Application is available only to Premium account users, but since then it has been fixed to allow access to all Crunchyroll members. After a long delay and without notice, as of May 28, 2015, users with access to Nintendo eShop for the UK can download the iPlayer app for the BBC. On December 17, 2015, also without notice, the Napster music streaming application was released on Wii U for eligible European countries, and the application was released later in the USA on March 11, 2016 under the name Rhapsody.

Wii U Chat is a Nintendo online chat for online chat based on the Nintendo network. The service allows users to use the Wii U GamePad front camera for video chatting with registered friends. Although video chat, in fact, only Wii U GamePad is needed, since the application is compatible with Off-TV Play. Users can draw pictures on the GamePad, on top of the video chat display. If there is a game or other application that is already running, the GamePad’s HOME button ring will flash to indicate that there is an incoming call.

Wii Street U is a built-in map application developed by Nintendo and Google for the Wii U. During Nintendo Direct, Satoru Iwata discovered that Google Maps will be integrated with the Wii U panorama function. The player can choose any place from Worldwide to see Use the Street View feature and can use the Wii U GamePad.

This application was available in Wii U eShop as a free download until October 31, 2013, after which it became a paid application. In January 2016, Nintendo announced that the application will be terminated on March 31, 2016. Since then, it has been excluded from Nintendo eShop as of January 31, 2016, although users who have already purchased it could still download the application before the date of its termination.

Wii Karaoke U is an embedded karaoke app developed by Nintendo and Joysound for the Wii U. It licenses the online music library Joysound from Japanese karaoke service provider Xing. The game can use both the Wii U GamePad microphone and any universal USB microphone connected to the Wii U console.

The game requires an Internet connection to access new songs to download. When buying tickets for songs from Nintendo eShop, players rent songs that they want to sing for a limited period of time (from 24 hours to 90 days) from the library of songs Joysounds. By choosing a stage for a performance, players can choose their Mii characters to represent themselves. Players can also adjust parameters such as echo, key and song speed, while other players can use their Wii consoles to accompany the singer by playing instruments such as cymbals and maracas. The game includes a lesson mode that trains and victorizes players in tone and rhythm.

It was released as a free application called Wii Karaoke U from Joysound on the Nintendo online store in Europe on October 4, 2013.

Wii U Wii Mode is a fully virtualized Wii system with all its limitations and privileges. When a Wii game disc is inserted into the Wii U, the corresponding launch icon appears in the Wii U menu. Alternatively, the Wii U can be turned on by holding the B button. Either of these methods will effectively restart the Wii U to fully become a virtual Wii system until it restarts in Wii U mode. As in the Wii system, the internal Wii Mode memory limited to 512 MB, and in the SD card menu, you can use a card of up to 32 GB.

There are a few minor differences between the Wii U Wii Mode and the native Wii system. Data management settings are available, but Wii system settings are not set. The Wii Shop Channel is fully available to purchase Wii software; However, its applications Netflix, Hulu Plus and YouTube cannot be used. To use your own versions of these applications, the system must be restarted in Wii U mode.

In addition to launching one main game or application, Wii U is able to simultaneously open selected system applications. After starting the main application from the Wii U menu, the user can press the HOME button to temporarily suspend this application. Then one of the following applications can be launched and can interact with the main application, such as screenshots and game scores.

• Miiverse
• Nintendo eShop
• Internet Browser
• Nintendo tvii
• Notifications
• Friend list
• Download Manager

Wii U was launched with its system software in versions 1.0.1 or 1.0.2. The update, released the same day, added the Miiverse web browser, a Wii data transfer method and a sandbox for owners to play Wii games, but not GameCube games. On April 25, 2013, a major update version 3.0 improved the system boot time and added an automatic installation of downloaded software. Version 4.0, released on September 30, 2013, added additional features such as the ability to connect a headset directly to the GamePad for the Wii U Chat, the ability to take screenshots and download them via a web browser while playing, and also supports USB keyboards and surround sound. for Wii games. On June 2, 2014, another major update was released with the version number 5.0, with added features for displaying a quick launch menu and warnings about Game Play in addition to other changes. The version that immediately followed (5.1.0) added Wii U support to the Wii U System Transfer system.