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Wii update 3.1 includes USB keyboard support, enhanced Everybody Votes channel

by Andrew Yoon on Oct 10th 2007 9:30AM

Your Wii system is flashing blue again, yearning for your attention. A new system update is available, version 3.1, and it now officially includes USB keyboard support. (A previous update featured very limited keyboard functionality.) This should greatly increase the usability of the Internet Channel.

Also capitalizing on this new addition is an updated Everybody Votes Channel, which can be upgraded through the Wii Shop Channel. The free update doesn't appear to have any cosmetic changes. Rather, it simply adds keyboard support for submitting questions. [Update: An update to the Internet Browser is also available through the Wii Shop Channel.]

In addition, the Wii User Agreement has been updated. It's supposed to be available at support.nintendo.com, but as of this writing, an older document from the system's launch was still in place.

Tags: wii, wiisystemupdate

Reader Comments (46)

That's it? Wasn't one of the bullet points earlier about enhancing the voting channel for game rankings etc.?

I was hoping for DVD playback.

That's a future upgrade.

ruibing

Don't desperate... all will come at the right time.

@ruibing

Why the hell would you want dvd playback for your wii?

I get that it is a future upgrade, but is it too much of a stretch that something as minor as the changes announced today would make it into this update?

Why would you even announce such minutia.

nice! Come on USB harddrive support.

Finally keyboard support! :-D

cool, I'll probably use the internet channel more now

I will wait a little bit, until Bluetooth keyboard support appears...

Or can I use a USB Wireless Keyboard?

This will look very nice with the Wii:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8509759&type=product&id=1186005932539

Of course you can use a wireless keyboard it's great just need mouse function!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-Wireless-Keyboard-Built-in-Touchpad-USB-VAT-INC_W0QQitemZ190159749758QQihZ009QQcategoryZ15389QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

Yes it is a usb wireless keyboard support. Sigh. Why do you think there are two usb ports in the wii?

Are you SURE it's wireless support as well?

Like, did you try it?

Or did anyone for that matter?

If so, I am totally hitting up the store on the way home! : )

I wonder if this is their solution to a lack of voice chat in their games...

Because I know it's better for the childrens to read racism than to hear it...

LessThanMrt: Its much easier to apply filters to text than it is voice. :)

Any news of this bricking modded consoles?

The message before updating warns people with 3rd party stuff that this update may not work with them. Don't have mods myself, but I'd be cautious if only because of that warning.

They do warn in the updated user agreement that this update "may" cause systems with "unauthorized modifications" to no longer work.

This opens the door for Wii MMO's, you know. I forget which company (either blizzard or NCSoft) said they were talking to nintendo about having an MMO on the console, and they said one of the biggest hurdles to making it happen was keyboard support.

Course, the other hurdle is getting around the wii friend codes, but I don't think that should be too big a deal.

Get the game an M rating, and the equivalent in other ratings systems. At that point, they should have no problem pulling out friend codes because there should be no children to protect!

um, Keyboard support was in the previous update? I even sent the tip here and you guys posted it way back when!

That was for system use only. The big update here is that it can replace the on screen keyboard for Internet and Voting channel.

If you go to the WiiWare channel, and click on the item discussing the new additions, it says that they have updated the Opera browser as well!!! It seems to run faster for me, and also there is a 100% icon that pops up when you are zooming in and out. They also mentioned things like being able to click on URLs within messages that will take you to the browser. Anyone notice anything else new?

Opera also now has widget support

widgets.opera.com

OH WOW....keyboard support for the Everybody votes channel! OH WOW...that will REALLY help submitting quesetions that never get posted. I mean really...who the hell cares if you "brush your teeth in the morning or evening?" I want questions that have meaning not some lame ass questions like "do you like your name?".

Actually one of the first questions came from my girlfriend's submission... Not that her question being used was exciting or anything.

TYPING OF THE DEAD!
TYPING OF THE DEAD!
TYPING OF THE DEAD!...

... oh, and DVD playback.

If you mod your wii you can play DVD as well as Divx Xvid, MPEG, MP3 and more.

I'll start modding in Jan. When the warranty runs out.

i cant believe anyone is excited about this

and people make fun of folding@home...

I can't believe people are finding the addition of features more exciting than the removal of features.

It also mentioned that there would be more specific information in the Everybody Votes Channel results, but it doesn't appear to apply to old results when I checked. (Duh, Lemmi.) It said something about more detailed results by state/country. Eeeenteresting.

Meanwhile, keyboard support kicks ass.

Are they serious, no one cares about everybody votes, let's be real here Nintendo.

...You do not speak for everybody in the world (and how pretentious of you to think so)! I for one still find it enjoyable. If you don't, good for you. I won't be so full of myself (unlike you) as to think that just because I still enjoy it that everybody in the world does also.

ah good, keyboard support. I would be more excited except for the fact that I STILL CAN'T FIND A #$%*!& WII ANYWHERE IN MY TOWN!

Really!? LOL

Yeah, still scarce around here too. I picked mine up a couple of days before Metroid came out, when there seemed to be a big inventory push. I could walk into 2/3 of the stores around town and they'd have a couple. That only lasted a week or two though, now they're out of stock most places.

try a small store like gamestop or EBgames

If the wii could output 1080 or even 720 it would have made for a good TV web browser.

I'm still pissed that Nintendo never used my question:

"Which would you rather launch into space?"

Pizzas?
or
Burritos?

LOL!

To answer one the questions above:

Yes, some regular USB wireless keyboards work (according to second-hand reports and personal experience). Don't know about bluetooth keyboards, however.

An unofficial list of Wii-compatible keyboards can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_USB_Keyboard_Compatibility_List

wireless keyboard no probs!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Mini-Wireless-Keyboard-Built-in-Touchpad-USB-VAT-INC_W0QQitemZ190159749758QQihZ009QQcategoryZ15389QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

Keyboard shortcuts available at http://www.elsonandlarissa.com.nyud.net/wiikeyboard

Seems like a pretty cool update. I'ts sooooooo much better typing with a keyboard instead the onscreen keyboard and the wiiremote. The only thing is that right now I'm using the keyboard from my computer, and I don't think it'll be too long before my parentrs realize that I took it and now they can't type.

Breaking News

Wii update 3.1 includes USB keyboard support, enhanced Everybody Votes channel

Reader Comments (46)

Posted: Oct 10th 2007 9:38AM teamsammalone said

Posted: Oct 10th 2007 9:56AM ruibing said

Posted: Oct 10th 2007 10:04AM BPMOmega XBL PSN Steam said

Posted: Oct 10th 2007 10:11AM Fernando Rocker said

Posted: Oct 10th 2007 4:51PM Vegeta has a ps3 said

Posted: Oct 10th 2007 5:39PM teamsammalone said

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Posted: Oct 10th 2007 9:55AM Fernando Rocker said

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Posted: Oct 10th 2007 10:46AM Crono141 said

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Posted: Oct 11th 2007 9:00AM Crono141 said

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Posted: Oct 10th 2007 12:12PM Pcenginefx said

Posted: Oct 10th 2007 12:28PM teamsammalone said

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