New to Wii U?

With Wii U now available across Europe, there's never been a better time to get acquainted with our new high-definition console. From a strong line-up of great titles and a totally new way for you to interact not just with your console, but also with other people thanks to Miiverse, Wii U is the ideal way to start a new year of gaming!

Getting started with Wii U is easy! To add Miiverse and many other exciting online features to Wii U (such as Nintendo eShop and Wii U Chat), just connect your console to the Internet and perform a system update. You can even get your game on while the data downloads in the background, so you'll never miss a minute of the fun that can be had on Wii U. Do remember though, that the length of time it takes to perform the system update varies depending on the speed of the Internet connection used, and in peak periods following launch, increased traffic to Nintendo's servers could extend the download time. Please don't power off your console or remove the power cord during this time. Read more about Wii U system updates and getting your Wii U console online in our Support section.

If it's downloading content from Nintendo eShop on Wii U that takes your fancy, then the Wii U Premium Pack is perfect for you. Not only does the Premium Pack offer more internal flash memory for storing downloaded games and other content, but it comes complete with Nintendo Network Premium: a special reward program for Wii U owners with a registered Nintendo Network ID. The Nintendo Network Premium website is now up and running, so check it out for more information about this service!

Of course, while both the Wii U Basic Pack and Wii U Premium Pack have internal flash memory for storing downloaded content, you can also connect external USB storage media (sold separately) to expand your console's storage capacity. Wii U supports USB hard disk drives of up to 2 TB in size, allowing you to greatly increase the amount of space for downloaded software and other content. Find out more about compatible USB storage devices in our Support section.

Transferring your Mii characters, Virtual Console and WiiWare titles purchased from the Wii Shop Channel and save data from a Wii console to Wii U is easy too! All you'll need is both consoles, access to the Internet and an SD Card with at least 512 MB of free space. To find out how to transfer from Wii to Wii U, visit our Support section.

The Wii U's secure Parental Controls also make it easy to manage the types of content that each user is able to access. Content restrictions can be set for each individual Wii U user, meaning you'll never have to worry about what members of your family are seeing. There's more info about the Parental Controls of Wii U in our Support section.

While all of this is vital information though, let's not forget one of the most important things about Wii U: the games! With Nintendo Land, New Super Mario Bros. U, and a whole host of third-party titles such as ZombiU, FIFA 13, Assassin's Creed III and Call Of Duty: Black Ops II, the launch line-up means you'll never be stuck for something great to play! For more on these and all the other games available on Wii U, check out the Games section of the Wii U website. And for great downloadable games like Little Inferno, Trine 2: Director's Cut and Chasing Aurora, don't forget to head to Nintendo eShop!

And while you're getting excited about the gaming potential of Wii U, don’t forget to register your new console with Club Nintendo! Registering your Wii U and games earns you Stars that can be redeemed for special rewards available only from Club Nintendo*; you can also link your Nintendo Network ID to your Club Nintendo account to earn Stars from downloaded titles too! Please note that registering with Club Nintendo is not the same as registering for Nintendo Network Premium. To find out more about Club Nintendo and registering your Wii U, check out the Club Nintendo section of the Wii U website.

For the answers to any questions you might have, as well as full details of system updates and more, please visit our Wii U Support section. And if you find yourself stuck, just give our Nintendo Service Centre a call or drop them an email – they'll be happy to help iron out any problems and get you and your family gaming in no time!

*Registration required. Club Nintendo Terms and Conditions apply.