Nintendo releases Wii U 3.1.0 system update

Nintendo has released system software 3.1.0 for the Wii U, which offers various updates ahead of a more significant update later this year.

The headlining change is that the Wii U will now "regularly connect to the Internet when the Wii U is powered down to check for available SpotPass data or software and system updates."

Any downloaded software updates will be installed while the Wii U is off, while downloaded system updates will install the next time the console is switched on.

Nintendo also adds that "improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been made to enhance the user experience," but does not detail the changes.

The Wii U's second major update of 2013, which company president Satoru Iwata first mentioned back in January, will now be released at the end of September or start of October, Nintendo says. The Wii U's first major update, released in April, sped up the loading of system menus.

Wii U owners can manually update the Wii U by connecting it to the Internet and selecting System Update from the System Settings option in the main menu. Nintendo warns that the update may take up to an hour to install on some systems.