Nintendo has successfully navigated the transition from offering handheld and home console hardware to just one platform that can do both. But it seems that last-generation systems haven’t been completely forgotten about or abandoned.
As NintendoLife reports, Nintendo just surprised everyone by releasing a new firmware update for the Wii U. The company’s last-generation home console was discontinued in early 2017 following very poor sales over its five-year lifespan. The last firmware update it received before this one was back in Sept. 2018, hence the surprise Nintendo continues to support it.
As to what this new firmware update (Version 5.5.5 U) contains, the release notes simply state “Further improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been made to enhance the user experience.” Twitter user and dataminer OatmealDome suggests the update is simply an SSL verification code change and nothing more. There’s no sign Nintendo used it to patch out any vulnerabilities that allow for homebrew development on the system.
Nintendo quietly discontinued all models of the 3DS last year and the Switch outsold the 3DS in January. The future for the company is clearly focused on one platform, although with the Switch and Switch Lite already available and a Switch Pro expected soon, there’s still going to be plenty of choice for gamers.
