Each time you turn on your Wii U console, you'll be greeted by Mii characters from around the world, and the Wii U community's most talked about games in the WaraWara Plaza.
From the Wii U GamePad controller, choose the software you'd like to launch.
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Connect online with the Wii U community using your Mii.
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Your one-stop shop for downloadable games and entertainment.
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Browse the Internet from the comfort of your couch.
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Enjoy video chat with friends and family from far away—right on your TV.
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Create Mii characters of you, your family and friends.
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- A broadband Internet connection is required to use most built-in software. A system update will also be required.
Wii U Software Features
Access the HOME Button any time
The HOME Button on your Wii U GamePad gives you immediate access to game manuals, Miiverse, and Internet Browser at any time—without having to exit your game.
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Wii U Users
Manage and keep track of game save data and details for up to 12 users on one Wii U console. Everyone in your family can play as a different user. You can also set unique parental controls for each user.
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Daily records
Keep track of how much you've played your Wii U games and applications by date, or in a handy graph. You can even track the daily records for each individual user registered on the console.
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Play online with friends
Register friends from anywhere in the world either by exchanging your Nintendo Network ID, sending a friend request to someone you recently played online, or submitting a friend request through Miiverse. Within your Friend List you can see if your registered friends are online, and what game they are playing.
Miiverse is Nintendo’s unique online gaming community, where gamers of all ages and skill levels can discuss and share moments from their favorite games.
Visit https://miiverse.nintendo.net/
Each Wii U title has a dedicated community, where you'll find Play Journals, Drawings, and Discussions.
Share a Play Journal to show off your unique game experiences using a screenshot and text. You can also post drawings you’ve created with the touchscreen and stylus—and see what others have created. Or post your game tips and questions. There are all kinds of ways to express yourself within Miiverse!
You can connect with specific Wii U gamers in Miiverse, too, including game developers! Verified Miis have a green mark on the corner of their Mii icon. Follow their posts by searching for specific creators in the search field, or simply tapping "Get the latest news here!" to see the latest posts from a variety of game creators.
Miiverse can be accessed at any time from the Wii U GamePad controller's HOME Button Menu—even in the middle of a game—to share your thoughts as they come to you. Miiverse is also accessible from the Wii U Menu when not playing.
Go back and forth between your game and Miiverse from the HOME Button Menu.
Use the "Yeah!" button to relay your feelings, or choose a facial expression for your Mii to display. These fun and simple actions make it a breeze for you to communicate with others.
Many games are also integrated with Miiverse. For example, in Splatoon, you’ll see Miiverse drawings throughout Inkopolis. Mario Kart 8 lets you post your racing video to Miiverse, while Art Academy Home Studio makes it easy to post your artwork. And in Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars, you can share your original levels.
From the moment you turn on your Wii U console, you'll be greeted by Mii characters gathered from all over in the WaraWara Plaza. You'll see what software people are talking about represented as cubes, with Mii characters gathered around them. You'll also see messages and comments about these topics appearing right in the plaza.
From here, you can also tap a software icon to go directly to its download page in the Nintendo eShop to purchase.
If you follow another player, that person's posts will show up in the feed "Everyone's Activities." That way you can always keep up with what they are up to.
Become Friends with another player, and you can also send direct private messages to that player, or even invite them to a multi-player gaming session.
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Customize your settings
You can set the publish range of your profile or posts to "Everyone," "Friends Only," or "Private." This lets you control who sees your posts.
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Parental Controls
You can set the publish range of your profile or posts to "Everyone," "Friends Only," or "Private." This lets you control who sees your posts.
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Avoid spoilers
If a post about a game is determined to be a spoiler, the full text will be hidden at first. If you want to see the info, a quick button press can reveal it. You can also mark your own posts as spoilers, and they will be shown in the same way to other users.
Broadband internet connection required.
Learn more.
Save yourself a trip to the store! You can buy and download tons of games directly from the Nintendo eShop. You'll find both new and classic titles, plus indie games, downloadable content, and more.
Earn points with My Nintendo
You can earn My Nintendo points on digital purchases, then redeem your points for fun rewards (like game discounts!).
Free demos and more
Try before you buy! Enjoy demo versions of select games. Just download and play.
Nintendo eShop also offers a suite of Video-on-Demand options.
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brings you thousands of movies and TV series, instantly streamed to your Wii U system.*
- Netflix streaming membership required.
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lets you discover and watch videos shared by others, including Nintendo’s official Wii U channel.
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offers more than 150,000 of the latest movies and in-season TV episodes.
- Service available in select areas; visit www.Amazon.com/instantvideo/terms for details.
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provides unlimited streaming of current hit shows, classic series and acclaimed movies.
- Hulu Plus membership required.
Select games have additional, optional content that can be purchased from the Nintendo eShop to make the games you own even more fun. You may find new levels, additional characters, and other unique content.
- Wii Points cannot be used in the Nintendo eShop. Ability to download games is dependent on available storage capacity. For more info, visit our support page.
Enjoy the latest trailers and gameplay videos for games in the Nintendo eShop, all viewable on your TV screen or on the Wii U GamePad right in your hands.
Use the Parental Control setting to limit access to games based on their ESRB rating for specific users on your Wii U console, or to restrict Wii U Shopping Services. For more info, visit our support page.
Connect to the eShop
- Connect your system to the Internet.
Learn how - Tap the Nintendo eShop icon on the Wii U menu.
Shop
- On the eShop Home menu, you can browse featured games, sale titles, best sellers, free demos, and more. You may also search for specific titles.
- Tap a title for more information, or to add it to your Wish List.
Purchase and download
- Tap "Purchase" next to the game you'd like to buy.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to add funds, then tap "Purchase" again to finalize. Once your title has finished downloading, you can find it in your Wii U menu.
Be ready to buy immediately—or give the gift of fun—with a Nintendo eShop Card.
Broadband internet connection required to use the Nintendo eShop on Wii U.
Learn more.
The Internet Browser lets you surf the web any time on your TV, using the Wii U GamePad. Simple controls let you share the browsing experience with everyone in the room, or from just the GamePad.
View websites and play your favorite web videos* on the TV screen for everyone to enjoy—viewable in HD on supported TV sets. Get a more detailed look at small text by using the view of the GamePad—or, use both screens at once with supported websites.
- Supports H.264, but Adobe Flash is not supported
Watch videos on the TV.
Read fine print on the GamePad.
Scroll through pages, enter keywords, switch between tabs, and more all using the Wii U GamePad touch screen or buttons. Browse with ease, any way you like.
Using the built-in gyro sensor of the Wii U GamePad, you can scroll up and down a webpage for a unique and intuitive browsing experience using motion controls.
Using only the Wii U GamePad, you can browse the Internet with ease while someone else in the room uses the TV for something else. Use the browser to look up info on the program you're watching, or anything else you like.
Continue to browse on the GamePad while a web video is playing on the TV, and find the next video to show off without interruption. Surprise and delight your fellow viewers by setting the stage and revealing the video from behind a curtain and drumroll.
Search for the next video while the first one plays.
Use curtains to set the scene and present your video.
Access the Internet Browser while in the middle of a game using the HOME Button. You can pause your game at any time and go look up information about it online. The game will still be visible as you browse, and you can quickly return to it when ready.
- Some games may not be able to display the game screen while browsing.
Go through the game and find a scene you want to upload, then press the HOME Button and select "Internet Browser." Then you can easily send screenshots from your game to sites which allow image uploads.
- A system update will be required September 30, 2013.
When posting to Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr, using the Wii U Image Share will make things easier.
Use of the Internet Browser can be restricted entirely by the Wii U system's Parental Controls. For more info, visit our support page.
Broadband internet connection required.
Learn more.
Wii U Chat enables video chat with friends and family who also have a Wii U console, from anywhere in the world. Enjoy video conversations with your loved ones, at no additional cost—all you need is your broadband Internet connection.
See the smiling faces of friends and family from afar on your TV screen, and enjoy conversations as if they were right in your living room. Set the GamePad on a stand in front of the TV, and the wide-angle inner camera of the GamePad can get the entire family in the picture.
Once you've registered a friend on your Wii U console, you can call them in just two easy steps.
Step 1
From your friend list, choose the Mii that represents the friend you'd like to call. You can see who's online from this list.*
Step 2
Just touch the call button to place the call, and catch up with your friend in seconds.
- You can adjust the setting so that your online status is invisible to friends from the Friends List settings.
Hand draw pictures or written text on the touch screen of the GamePad while you chat. You can share these drawings with your friend while chatting to add a creative and personal touch to your conversation.
While playing a game, the HOME Button on the GamePad will emit a blue light when you have an incoming Wii U Chat call. From there, you can press the HOME Button to pause your game and take the call.
- If you've changed your setting so that your online status is not shown, the HOME Button will not light up when a call is received.
Calls you missed while your Wii U console was off or calls that you didn't answer can be viewed from the "Missed Calls" list. You'll also receive a message in Miiverse letting you know that the call came in.
Broadband internet connection required.
Learn more.
Create original Mii characters that represent you, your family, friends, or anyone you like using the built-in Mii Maker application. These Mii characters will appear in Miiverse and specially designed Wii U games, putting you right into the gaming experience!
If you want a head start in creating your Mii, take a picture of yourself using the built-in camera on the Wii U GamePad. Mii Maker will automatically create a Mii. You can then edit further to complete your creation.
From Nintendo 3DS
You can transfer Mii characters created on a Nintendo 3DS system using either its QR Code® pattern, or via direct wireless communication.
From Wii
When you perform a Wii System Transfer, the Mii data on your Wii console will also be transferred.
For more info on System Transfer, click here.
You can create fun photo shoots with your Mii character, or QR Code® patterns that can be shared with other Wii U and Nintendo 3DS owners.
- To make photos and QR Code patterns, an SD card is required (sold separately.)
Take pictures using a variety of fun poses with your Mii character.
Generate a QR Code that can be shared with friends.
Using all of the various ways to create and import Mii characters, plus any Mii that visits to play over the Internet, you can save up to 3,000 on one Wii U console shared between all users.
- QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED in JAPAN and other countries.
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