Next month’s Nintendo Wii U system update will increase the console’s speed, reducing waiting times between returning to the Wii U menu from a game.
Nintendo has released a side-by-side comparison video on its YouTube channel, showing the difference in speeds between a pre-update console and one equipped with the system patch.
Going by the video, the system update will cut the time taken to exit of out a game and return to the Wii U home screen from around 24-seconds to 9-seconds. As the video shows, that’s quite a difference and makes the current console look very sluggish.
Due to launch in April, the Wii U system update will also bring the Nintendo Wii U Virtual Console service to the newest Nintendo console. Either bundled into the update or released shortly afterwards, the Nintendo Wii U Virtual Console online service will make games made for old Nintendo consoles available on the Wii U.
Initially set to offer NES and SNES titles and GameBoy Advance favourites to be added later, the Wii U service will make the full library from the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console available as well.
Unfortunately, because the titles are being remade for the dual-screen GamePad and will include Miiverse interactivity, anyone who had previously purchased any NES or SNES games via the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console service will have to pay for those titles again, albeit at a reduced price.
New NES and SNES games will cost £3.49 and £5.49 respectively, whilst any repurchases will cost 99p for NES and £1.49 for SNES titles.
The Wii U system update will become available in April, but Nintendo has yet to reveal if any other software or bug fixes will also be included. Another system firmware upgrade will be released later this year, sometime in autumn.
Do you find the Wii U software slow? Did Nintendo rush the Wii U just to get the console into the market before PS4 or Xbox 720 competitors arrive? Give us your thoughts via the TrustedReviews Facebook and Twitter pages or the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
