# Do Not Update Your Wii **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 4, 2009, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500 "2009-10-04T00:18:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/1 "2009-10-04T00:18:15Z")
System update 4.2 is making [some consoles unusable](http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2009/10/01/new-wii-update-4-2-bricking-consoles.aspx). If you’ve _already_ updated to 4.2 without a problem, you’re in the clear. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/2 "2009-10-04T00:21:46Z")
Something tells me the “innocent” Wii owners who now have bricked sytems forgot about all the mods they did to it. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/3 "2009-10-04T02:44:57Z")
It doesn’t sound like that’s the case. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/4 "2009-10-04T06:49:17Z")
This is a bit of an over-reaction. Every time there’s a console update, there are always reports of some units bricking. If anything goes wrong at all during the install process (power flickers off, system becomes unplugged, etc), insta-brick. Until I see some compelling evidence, I doubt this is any more than a handful of peeps. But I’ll check in with my friends who work in Nintendo’s customer service for the scoop. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/5 "2009-10-04T13:28:06Z")
Can you ask them what the benefits of updating are? From what I’ve read, it doesn’t sound like there is much benefit. Why should someone take even a small chance of their Wii bricking? Even so, I’m presuming they’ll put out an updated update, with the problem fixed. Here’s an [official post](http://techforums.nintendo.com/nins/board/message?board.id=wii_tech&thread.id=29992) at Nintendo’s tech forums. > [@](#): > > Hello again, > > We wanted to provide a bit more information. > > In reading your posts on this topic, there is a perception that ‘lots and lots’ of people are having problems with their Wii console after having downloaded the Wii System Menu 4.2. > > At this point, the number of people who have had a problem is extremely small, and in fact, we have found we can help a good portion of people with troubleshooting to the point that there is no repair necessary. For the vast majority of Wii owners who have downloaded system menu update (SMU) 4.2 there have been no issues. > > Anyone who experiences an issue with their Wii after downloading SMU 4.2 should contact Nintendo customer support, and we will work with you to address your specific concerns. > > Please give us a call at your convenience at 1-800-255-3700. We are open 6 AM to 7 PM, Pacific Time, 7 days a week. > > Thank you, > NOA\_Tech\_Jane I wish she’d have used less vague language than “extremely small” and “vast majority”. No telling what those mean. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/6 "2009-10-04T21:43:03Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > I wish she’d have used less vague language than “extremely small” and “vast majority”. No telling what those mean. They probably mean it like Microsoft where “extremely small” is 52% and “vast majority” is 48%. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/7 "2009-10-05T18:32:23Z")
There’s a point where I wish companies would just stop making updates for the express purpose of bricking modified consoles–especially when at least some of the modifications are correcting hindsight-obvious problems with the consoles themselves. For example, I have so much downloadable content on my Wii that I can’t buy any more, but I can’t usefully strap my USB hard drive on the thing without risking a future update bricking it. So I’m not buying any WiiWare as a result. Whoops, Nintendo! That’s not what you were hoping would happen! ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/8 "2009-10-05T18:40:17Z")
> [@Zeriel](#): > > For example, I have so much downloadable content on my Wii that I can’t buy any more, but I can’t usefully strap my USB hard drive on the thing without risking a future update bricking it. > So I’m not buying any WiiWare as a result. Whoops, Nintendo! That’s not what you were hoping would happen! Buy a 32 GB SDHC card. Problem solved. It’s not Nintendo’s fault that the storage format you want to use is not supported by the system. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/9 "2009-10-05T18:46:14Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Buy a 32 GB SDHC card. Problem solved. It’s not Nintendo’s fault that the storage format you want to use is not supported by the system. Sure it’s their fault–the hardware supports connecting a drive, but their software doesn’t recognize it or support it and modified software does. It was a conscious decision on their part, and I’m saying I don’t like it. I look at it this way: I have a 120GB USB2 drive, I don’t have unlimited money and I’d rather buy games than another storage device I don’t strictly need. Which is why I do much of my casual gaming on the PC. Again. Really, this is my biggest and more or less only beef with the Wii–with the internet channel, the photo channel, etc, they could make it into a very credible home entertainment center (like the XBox 360 would have succeeded at if it hadn’t backed the wrong HD horse) except for its appalling lack of storage space. Especially if someone coded, say, a VLC client for it to stream video from a PC. Which probably exists on the “homebrew channel”. Eh, I’m content to wait it out–Nintendo has already made the SD card storage significantly more available to the Wii with updates since it first came out, so I’m actually pretty confident we’ll eventually get USB hard drive capability–there’s no real downside for them enabling it now that the homebrewers and/or pirates already have the capability after all. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/10 "2009-10-05T19:14:46Z")
> [@Zeriel](#): > > Sure it’s their fault–the hardware supports connecting a drive, but their software doesn’t recognize it or support it and modified software does. It was a conscious decision on their part, and I’m saying I don’t like it. But no console manufacturer supports USB hard drives. ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/11 "2009-10-05T19:24:14Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > But no console manufacturer supports USB hard drives. My USB hard drive works just fine on the PS3 and from what I understand they work on XBox360s as well. I am surprised to hear it is something that doesn’t work on the Wii out of the box as well. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/12 "2009-10-05T19:34:39Z")
> [@pricciar](#): > > My USB hard drive works just fine on the PS3 and from what I understand they work on XBox360s as well. Not for storing games, which is what Zeriel was talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/13 "2009-10-06T14:28:15Z")
That’s most likely because the other major consoles support a decent-sized internal hard drive for storing games, so they don’t really have the need the Wii does to support external ones. Furthermore, neither of the other big three (to my knowledge) will brick itself if you install a bigger-than-stock internal hard drive. The Wii’s internal storage is criminally small for a system with the abundance of downloadable content it boasts. Frankly my biggest problem with your solution, Justin, is that SD cards are ridiculously expensive. 32GB SD card from a decent brand at a discount store: $79. 750GB MyBook Essential USB hard drive: $79. I don’t even see why this is a point of contention. I’m a Wii fanboy in the first place (in fact, it’s the only console I own since it came out and my PS2’s laser died within a week of each other), but my Wii’s internal storage is full after downloading a measly two GH:WT songs, three NES games, two SNES games, and three WiiWare titles. 512 MB internal storage. That’s just plain unacceptable for a console that purports to offer downloadable content and has multimedia services (the Photo Channel, etc) as a big selling point. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/14 "2009-10-06T14:48:18Z")
> [@Zeriel](#): > > Furthermore, neither of the other big three (to my knowledge) will brick itself if you install a bigger-than-stock internal hard drive. In fact, a recent issue of _PlayStation: The Official Magazine_ gave step-by-step instructions on how to do this, including what type to buy (no, not a Sony product) and how to open up your PS3 and install it. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/15 "2009-10-07T07:30:58Z")
> [@Zeriel](#): > > 32GB SD card from a decent brand at a discount store: $79. > 750GB MyBook Essential USB hard drive: $79. That’s not quite a fair comparison. Look at it this way: 32GB SD Card for $79 is cheaper than what Microsoft was charging for the 20GB hard drive just a month ago: $100. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/16 "2009-10-07T13:05:12Z")
> [@Red\_Barchetta](#): > > That’s not quite a fair comparison. Look at it this way: 32GB SD Card for $79 is cheaper than what Microsoft was charging for the 20GB hard drive just a month ago: $100. _nods_ Fair enough, but on the other hand my buddy with an XBox 360 ripped out the stock HD and put a terabyte one in there when he got it (a few years back) with no software mods and no updates have bricked it yet. And really, Microsoft overcharging for a 20GB built-in hard drive doesn’t really excuse Nintendo’s (insane) storage choices on the Wii. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/17 "2009-10-07T13:53:03Z")
> [@Zeriel](#): > > And really, Microsoft overcharging for a 20GB built-in hard drive doesn’t really excuse Nintendo’s (insane) storage choices on the Wii. But aside from the device used, Nintendo’s storage choices match Microsoft’s almost exactly. You also have to remember, the average file size of a Virtual Console or WiiWare game is a fraction of the size of the average XBLA game or even an Xbox 360. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/18 "2009-10-07T13:57:38Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > But aside from the device used, Nintendo’s storage choices match Microsoft’s almost exactly. You also have to remember, the average file size of a Virtual Console or WiiWare game is a fraction of the size of the average XBLA game or even an Xbox 360. The biggest difference is that I can upgrade a 360’s internal storage far more cheaply, and Microsoft isn’t trying to brick my console because I want to use a reasonably-priced storage option. Fair point on the game sizes. Mostly I’m frustrated because I don’t want to spend $80 on a freakin’ SD card, I want to spend $80 on more virtual console games, and I already have a USB hard drive right here. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/19 "2009-10-07T14:05:54Z")
> [@Zeriel](#): > > The biggest difference is that I can upgrade a 360’s internal storage far more cheaply, and Microsoft isn’t trying to brick my console because I want to use a reasonably-priced storage option. But not off the shelf. That’s the point I’m making. To the average consumer, the storage solutions for both are about even. To a reasonably knowledgable computer guy, sure, it’s possible. But even then, it’s only cheaper if you’ve got an extra HDD lying around (which you had to purchase at some point). ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2009, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500/20 "2009-10-07T18:56:46Z")
It’s true, I’m not Joe Average consumer. I guess it mostly boils down to me not being worried about the SD card as a storage option until it became clear that the homebrew guys had a relatively easy time allowing USB hard drive storage, at which point I wondered why Nintendo hadn’t offered that if the USB hardware is fully functional. Especially when they’re spending a lot of time and effort on bricking consoles that have non-standard software installed. Since the X360/PS3 upgrade processes aside, a lot of folks DO have spare USB thumbdrives and hard drives lying around, and even an additional 1GB of storage would be tripling what the Wii has to offer internally. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-update-your-wii/512500.md?page=2)