Update your 3DS and Wii U firmware

Gather round gamers, as Nintendo has a very special holiday surprise for all of you. Close your eyes. Okay, open them. Enjoy your new 3DS and Wii U firmware! The Wii U received a firmware update last night and the 3DS received a firmware update this morning.

Apparently, Nintendo didn’t want 3DS owners to be jealous of Wii U owners, and vice versa, so they purposely planned a near simultaneous 3DS and Wii U firmware release. Both updates are pretty basic. They’re mainly designed to improve system stability and fix minor issues to make the overall gaming experience better for people whether they’re playing at home or on the go. No new features are being added and no existing features are being taken away. It’s all very rudimentary. I’m sure the 3DS update also bars some of those DS flashcarts like the R4 from working on the handheld as well, even though Nintendo didn’t mention anything, because 3DS firmware updates always put up a temporary flashcart wall.

I can’t say how long the Wii U firmware update takes, seeing as how I don’t have a Wii U, but I can assure you that the 3DS firmware update is no big deal. I just started it up a few minutes ago and it’s already done. It’ll take you fifteen minutes to download and install, at most. So go ahead, get it over with and then enjoy the rest of your day.

Read [Nintendo of America on Twitter]