Wii U requires large firmware update for online features, first brick reported

With the launch of the Wii U, many customers were in for a shock when they realised that they need to download a giant firmware update to access the online part of the system. Worse yet, according to PCMag, those who manage to shut down the console in the middle of the 5GB firmware update will have expensive paper-weights on their hands, as this bricks the system.Ben Fritz – a writer for the Los Angeles Times – posted a warning on Twitter for other Wii U owners. “Warning: don’t unplug your Wii U during the 2 hour plus software update or the console stops working,” he tweeted. While almost every system warns you against shutting it down during a firmware update, most other systems have a backup in place in case of an accidental shut down, such as the PlayStation 3 attempting to redownload the update as soon as the console starts up again. This could be a major problem to those who are prone to suffering power outages. This is no helped by the fact that the firmware update is a hefty 5GB, and will require quite a bit of time to download.