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What Are the Wii Updates For?

Nintendo periodically releases updates for the Wii's system software. These updates, which are downloaded directly to the console, add new features to the Wii's menu and detect and remove unlicensed software. You can continue to play store-bought game discs on your console if you don't update the system software, but you may not be able to access some of the newer Wii channels and console functions.

Wii Channels
- Wii channels or applications are accessed from the Wii main menu, and channels and channel enhancements are often included in Wii system updates. Past updates have added functionality to channels such as the Wii Shop Channel, which sells Wii games and applications, and the Nintendo Channel, which has Wii game demos and downloads for the Nintendo DS. In some cases, you may need to redownload the affected channel to take advantage of the changes introduced in the system update.
SD Cards
- The front panel on the Wii console hosts a slot for an SD card, which can be used to save game data and other information. A Wii system update in March 2009 increased the maximum size of a Wii-compatible SD card from 2GB to 32GB. It also allowed you to download applications from the Wii Shop Channel directly to the SD card. These changes went through with version 4.0 of the Wii menu.
Unauthorized Modifications
- Some Wii users create their own channels and firmware for the Wii console. This software, called homebrew, can negatively impact the Wii's performance, according to Nintendo. Wii system updates search for these unauthorized files and remove them from the console.
Find Your Wii Menu Version
- From the Wii's main menu, select the "Wii" icon from the lower-left corner of the screen. Choose the "Wii Settings" button and look at the top-right corner of the screen to see the current version of your Wii system software. This will help you to know if you have the latest Wii updates installed on your system.
Getting Updates
- You can set your Internet-connected Wii to automatically download system updates as they become available with the WiiConnect24 feature. From the "Wii Settings" screen, scroll right to the second page and select "WiiConnect24." Choose "WiiConnect24" from the subsequent menu and switch it to "On" to receive the updates. To manually download the latest update, scroll to the third page of the "Wii Settings" menu and choose "Wii System" update, then follow the on-screen directions to start the download.

Nintendo Wii