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| Developer | Nintendo |
|---|---|
| Written in | C, C++ / PPC |
| OS family | Nintendo proprietary |
| Working state | Discontinued |
| Source model | Closed source |
| Initial release | 1.0 / November 19, 2006 |
| Latest release | 4.3 / September 7, 2010[1] |
| Available in |
|
| Update method | Direct download Game disc |
| Platforms | Wii, Wii U |
| Succeeded by | Wii U system software |
| Official website | www |
| Support status | |
| Unsupported | |
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.
Most game discs, including first-party and third-party games, include system software updates[2][3] so that systems that are not connected to the Internet can still receive updates. The system menu will not start such games if their updates have not been installed, so this has the consequence of forcing users to install updates in order to play these games.[2] Some games, such as online games like Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii, contain specific extra updates, such as the ability to receive Wii Message Board posts from game-specific addresses; therefore, these games always require that an update be installed before their first time running on a given console.[citation needed]
- ^ "Nintendo Support: System Menu Update History". en-americas-support.nintendo.com. Archived from the original on 2021-05-06. Retrieved 2021-06-07.
- ^ a b "Guitar Hero 5 Forces Mandatory Wii System Update". 5Frets.com. 2 September 2009. Archived from the original on 5 September 2009.
- ^ Jones, Steven E.; Thiruvathukal, George K. (24 February 2012). "Channeling the System: Access, Distribution, and Transmission". Codename Revolution: The Nintendo Wii Platform. Platform Studies. MIT Press. p. 100. ISBN 978-0-262-01680-3. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2020.