4 years after it was succeeded, Wii U gets a surprise system update

The update to Ver. 5.5.5 is the first since June 2019

Nintendo has surprised players by releasing a new system update for the Wii U, nearly four years after it was succeeded by the Nintendo Switch.

The new update, which brings the console’s firmware to version 5.5.5, reportedly brings little more than “improvements to system stability and usability”, a phrase Nintendo often uses during minor system updates.

Some have speculated that the update is the latest attempt from Nintendo to prevent its hardware from being hacked and modded. However, dataminer OatmealDome has analysed the update and believes the only change made has been to Nintendo’s SSL verification code (which allows its web browser to connect to secure websites).

This system update is the first since the 5.5.4 update, which went live on June 24, 2019, more than 20 months ago. It also simply claimed to offer improved system stability.

It appears that some SSL code was changed, and that might be it.https://t.co/wct0P8HaQS
— OatmealDome (@OatmealDome) March 2, 2021

The last major Wii U system update was version 5.3.0 back in November 10, 2014, which added an amiibo settings menu to allow players to register, delete or reset amiibo data.

Before that, firmware 5.2.0 in September 2014 allowed players to create folders on the Wii U menu screen for the first time.

Nintendo officially announced the end of Wii U production on January 31, 2017, around four years after the console’s launch. With only 13.56 million units sold worldwide, it was Nintendo’s worst-selling home console, selling 8 million fewer than the GameCube.