Nintendo launches Wii System Menu 4.0, including SD card WiiWare playback

Nintendo's finally patching WiiWare's biggest hangup: storage. Not only can you back up titles to SD, but games can now be played straight from the cards, so there should be very little hassle to data management going forward. The "SD Card Menu" can be accessed straight from the main Wii System Menu 4.0, an update that's being pushed out as we speak, which also enables the Wii to work with memory cards larger than 2GB, all the way up to 32GB -- which should make room for a good many NES carts. Nintendo's also pushing out the new Virtual Console Arcade, which brings old school arcade titles to the Wii. Hit up the read link for Joystiq's walkthrough of the SD card functionality, or just fire up your Wii and find out for yourself -- the water's warm!

[ATimson Posted Mar 26th 2009 1:22PM]

This is the same company who won't let you access the same "virtual cash account" on both your DSi and the Wii--you have to fund them separately. While that would be nice—or even having the ability to download a DSi version of games you bought on the Wii VC—they won't do it.

[heimbachae Posted Mar 25th 2009 4:57PM]

dangit! now i want one....

[darkfire79 Posted Mar 25th 2009 5:45PM]

Just remember, you lose what you've paid to download if you ever decide to sell your Wii. I guess you can call customer service if you have it synced with your Nintendo account, but that's a listed option when you go to cancel your Wii Shop Account.. it just says you lose everything.

[Hydra Posted Mar 25th 2009 5:53PM]

Welp one this is cracked its time to buy a wii again!

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 25th 2009 6:17PM]

Does this mean that larger SD cards are also supported for the photo channel and for playing back video files?

[jsmrekar Posted Mar 25th 2009 6:22PM]

wonder if i can take my VC games to my friends house.

[Plothole Posted Mar 25th 2009 7:15PM]

That is a negative. VC and Wiiware games are still encrypted to the system they were originally downloaded to.

[FILA Posted Mar 25th 2009 7:08PM]

and let the never ending Easy-Ass HomeBrew begin now!!!

[cronosxxx Posted Mar 25th 2009 7:13PM]

This was something that I have been waiting for a long time, I ran out of memory log time ago, and that nintend bs that you should make some space in the fridge wasnt so practical, now I have lots of space. Btw, I have the modchip channel "aka wiikey" (with latest firmware) installed upgraded and everything works fine at least for me

[Plothole Posted Mar 25th 2009 7:30PM]

I hope this update leads to a somewhat relaxed restriction on the size of Wiiware games.

[motang Posted Mar 25th 2009 8:23PM]

Finally, that was a huge hurdle, now it's gone!

[BoomHeadshot Posted Mar 25th 2009 8:27PM]

SDHC card support. After almost 2 1/2 years, they finally flip the firmware switch. 28 freakin months. Why?

[Plothole Posted Mar 26th 2009 12:46AM]

I imagine the reason they were reluctant to support SDHC is because of the potential hole it opened for would be pirates. Nintendo must have finally realized that they were only punishing legitimate users, while hackers continued getting around each and every road block they put up.

[DJManoloco Posted Mar 27th 2009 2:21PM]

For the same reason that Nintendo has poor online gaming, it's Nintendo and they don't give a shit about us hardcore gamers anymore. I'll just give my money to Microsoft now and enjoy some proper COD WaW and SF IV. Well I can't shit on them completely, I love SSBB (only reason I haven't sold my Wii, and online sucks when playing randomly) and the DS.

[mocax Posted Mar 25th 2009 9:38PM]

because hardware sales is dwindling
they've reached the core audience

now they want to reach out to the 1337 hax0rz community.

that's not a bad thing
that's a good thing

[Plothole Posted Mar 26th 2009 12:52AM]

Using SDHC was already *unofficially* possible. All Nintendo has done is make storage less of an issue for your average user.

[Xhozt Posted Mar 26th 2009 12:19AM]

No flash update for internet channel ... FAIL ;-(,,,,,

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 26th 2009 11:50AM]

AGREEEED!!!

[sacksam Posted Mar 26th 2009 12:21PM]

cool

[R1cebrner Posted Mar 26th 2009 1:33PM]

So can i run my virtual console saves from the sd card or just wiiware

[Plothole Posted Mar 26th 2009 7:04PM]

VC games will work off of SD too. As do channels... well I can at least confirm that the Internet Channel does.

[MrGadget Posted Mar 26th 2009 3:37PM]

When are we getting an update to the internet Channel? Come on ...!

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 26th 2009 5:31PM]

Anyone try an SDHC card within Rock Band 2 yet? I read something about Wii architecture that a game is "tied" to whatever original Wii System release it was originally created with.

[moracity Posted Mar 27th 2009 4:33PM]

I was wondering what my Wii was doing all day yesterday. The blue light was driving me nuts.