Wii update adds expanded USB keyboard support

Nintendo already dipped its toes into USB keyboard support with a previous Wii update, but it now looks to have busted that functionality wide open with the just-released 3.1 system update, which also brings with it an enhanced "Everybody Votes" channel. Among the most welcome additions is keyboard support for the Internet Channel, which will no doubt make your couch-bound web browsing experience a fair bit more enjoyable. A separate update to the Opera-based Internet Channel is also available through the Wii Shop Channel, which includes some new shortcuts to ease your Wiimote-based surfing, along with nine additional favorites slots, an option to send favorite web sites to a friend, and a new "Widget View Mode" that'll let you take advantage of Opera's various community-built widgets. The update is free for existing users, or 500 Wii points for anyone that has yet to take the plunge. Still no word on that rumored Nintendo-made Wii keyboard though.

[Thanks, Mike]

Read - Joystiq, "Wii update 3.1 includes USB keyboard support, enhanced Everybody Votes channel"
Read - Huliq.com, "The new "Internet Channel" for Nintendo Wii"

[Steve @ Oct 10th 2007 2:44PM]

I wonder if the Apple USB keyboard will work with it.
Too bad that my brother hasn't updated the WEP key on my Wii yet.

[LiQuiD_FuSioN @ Oct 10th 2007 2:54PM]

Why not access the router's settings and update it yourself?

[Steve @ Oct 10th 2007 2:58PM]

Because I need a the password to do so , and I think the wep key is the password.

[mike @ Oct 10th 2007 3:09PM]

Is your brother bigger than you? Will you receive a severe beating for changing settings? If not:

Hold down the reset button on the back of the router till all lights blink...

You can now log into the router using the default user/password.

[Wayne @ Oct 10th 2007 4:06PM]

Will it Blend??? That is the question...

[Steve @ Oct 10th 2007 3:17PM]

My brother has done that before and it still holds the wep info.

[Pierce @ Oct 10th 2007 8:29PM]

My Apple keybaord works! =)

[UKNigel @ Oct 11th 2007 1:35AM]

Make sure you hold down the router button long enough to reset it. I thought my router was broken until I figured out that it would still reset if I held it down for a couple minutes. WEP key disappeared after that.

[geezer @ Oct 10th 2007 3:00PM]

how about mod-chips? any news on if the update has any effect on them?

[Wayne @ Oct 10th 2007 3:13PM]

updated my cyclowiz this morning. chugged along with wii tennis, but havn't tried back-ups yet. so far, no bricking effect.

[Alexander @ Oct 10th 2007 4:46PM]

I predict that they will be sold out of the cheapest wireless USB keyboard at Microcenter...

Good to know that I have a wireless bluetooth one already!

[Manuel @ Oct 10th 2007 3:05PM]

Whats the actual price of Wii?
any hints of getting a price-drop before Christmas?

[Hitchcock @ Oct 10th 2007 3:14PM]

Oh my that is funny. The Wii has sold more units than any other Next Gen game system, even with the X-Box 360 having a year head start. They are still hard to find at retail, and Nintendo has said they don't expect that to change this holiday season.

Now why would Nintendo drop the price of a product that is selling as fast as they can deliver them to store shelves?

[foneguy2 @ Oct 10th 2007 4:01PM]

I'll pay full price right now.
Anyone know where I can buy a Wii? Seriously.

[geezer @ Oct 10th 2007 4:25PM]

@foneguy2: yeah pretty easy, over here in Germany, no worries picking up a Wii!

[GameboyRMH @ Oct 14th 2007 11:27PM]

To Hitchcock:
<
Now why would Nintendo drop the price of a product that is selling as fast as they can deliver them to store shelves?
>

Or *want* to deliver them to store shelves...

[Magallanes @ Oct 10th 2007 4:37PM]

Here is quite easy to find a Wii in retail stores, and i live in a "banana country" so if it's hard to find one in USA then the problem can be related with the stores and not with Nintendo (boycott?)

[Larz @ Oct 10th 2007 5:20PM]

I didn't have trouble getting one.

They have huge stockpiles at the Nintendo store. Also, I usually see 1 or 2 at the local Game Crazy. Last time I was at Wal-Mart, I counted at least 5 Wiis. Just check around, you should be able to find one somewhere. Or if you have a Nintendo store nearby just go there.

[Jack @ Oct 11th 2007 7:23AM]

took me two attempts to get a wii, first was a weekend in game, none in, was off work sick the next week, rang game up on a wednesday morning, bingo, managed to struggle into town to get it, and that was about april

[Bert @ Oct 10th 2007 3:08PM]

Yaaarrrrggghhh!!!!

How about a Bluetooth keyboard????? Anyone here have a 20 foot USB cable handy? How many cables between the Wiimotes and the console? Heloooooo Nintendo.....

[mike @ Oct 10th 2007 3:11PM]

so buy a Bluetooth keyboard. Plug the USB adapter into the wii and sync. What is the big deal here?

[gork @ Oct 10th 2007 3:22PM]

Just buy a wireless keyboard. Bluetooth modules would likely not work.

[Mike Cohen @ Oct 10th 2007 4:32PM]

The Wii already has bluetooth built in. The Wiimote is a bluetooth device. Most likely a future sofware update *could* add bluetooth keyboard support.

[Tavis Veighey @ Oct 10th 2007 6:43PM]

I have a Gyration wireless USB based keyboard. It works PERFECTLY! I just plug the transciever into the back of my Wii, and I can sit anywhere I want and type. In fact I can type from ferther away than I can use my Wiimote...

If they would add an update for my Gyration mouse... I would be all set on the Internet Channel! lol

[s82 @ Oct 10th 2007 3:21PM]

i plugged in my logitech wireless keyboard and it worked.

couldn't press the "OK" key using the keyboard though.

[Loban @ Oct 10th 2007 3:26PM]

A wired keyboard to the Wii is USELESS to me and probably 90% of all Wii users. I'm not going to be stringing 12 feet of keyboard cable across my living room with 2 little kids and 2 dogs running around.

"so buy a Bluetooth keyboard. Plug the USB adapter into the wii and sync. What is the big deal here?"

Because who knows if it's compatible with just any bluetooth keyboard and I'm not willing to spend $50 to find out.

[Paul @ Oct 10th 2007 4:02PM]

Logitech makes some nice RF wireless keyboards, I use one full time on my home desktop, works perfectly.

I can move the keyboard next to my bed (about 12 feet away from my computer) and control the sound volume and skip music.

RF wireless keyboards have a USB dongle you can plug into a USB port and it just sees it like a regular keyboard, they also make some pretty small dongles, like 1/2 inch long, here is an example picture: http://www.acorncomputers.com/images/items/100541.jpg

/ note this is not store spam, just an example picture for a wireless dongle

[mike @ Oct 10th 2007 5:19PM]

I thought Bluetooth used unique identifying keys. I can have my Bluetooth phone next to my wii and there is no problem. So - if you are syncing a Bluetooth adapter to the keyboard, it should find the device apart from the wii with no interference.... in theory.

Also - you found a Bluetooth keyboard for $50? that's a good deal!

[Loban @ Oct 10th 2007 3:28PM]

Oh, I meant just any wireless (with a USB adapter) may not work. I'm sure no bluetooth keyboard would work at this point.

[Saketbash @ Oct 10th 2007 6:15PM]

I just tried a Logitech diNovo keyboard (bluetooth) and it did not work. It syncs for 2 seconds and then loses the connection. Oh well

[Perplexer @ Oct 10th 2007 5:39PM]

For what it's worth, I use a Bluetooth keyboard and its dongle with my Xbox 360, and it works beautifully.

I'll test the same config on the Wii after work (in about seven hours) if nobody has done so yet.

[Alex @ Oct 10th 2007 4:31PM]

Well you never know until you try one out.

I have a basic Logitech wireless USB keyboard working just fine with my Wii. I believe it was the LX300?
They all should be pretty standardized.

Worst case, return the product within the return window and say it doesn't work with your system (if they even ask). Just make sure they don't charge a restocking fee and you're good to go.

[Scooter @ Oct 10th 2007 4:48PM]

two USB keyboards not working - one Dell, one generic. Lights come on, but no inputs.

[Scooter @ Oct 10th 2007 5:22PM]

generic wireless keyboard working, but only for memos (not on internet channel).

[Alex @ Oct 10th 2007 5:29PM]

Did you update your Internet Channel? You've got to do that before the keyboard will work in it. Updating the Wii system software alone isn't enough.

[Scooter @ Oct 10th 2007 6:47PM]

@Alex, thanks. Thought system update was enough. Went to the shop and grabbed the updated Opera browser. Keyboard now works a charm.

[travistaylor @ Oct 10th 2007 5:07PM]

I will check to see if my Apple USB Keyboard is compatible as soon as I get back to my dorm.

[JeffDM @ Oct 10th 2007 5:21PM]

I would hope bluetooth keyboards are supported soon enough. I'm not going to touch the ones with proprietary dongles.

[Garst @ Oct 10th 2007 5:26PM]

I have the Logitech MX5000 bluetooth keyboard and it does work, but the system update seems to only add keyboard functionality to the message board not to everything.

[Garst @ Oct 10th 2007 5:38PM]

Update: After realising there might also be an update to the web browser, I did download the update and it does work with that now also.

[patchmonkey @ Oct 10th 2007 6:29PM]

Did you need to connect a bluetooth dongle or did it just find it?

[Garst @ Oct 10th 2007 10:47PM]

There's no way to search for bluetooth devices other than the remotes, so you do have to use the dongle. I did try to use the connection button next to the SD card slot, too.

[teej @ Oct 10th 2007 5:27PM]

Wii keyboard...or Wiiboard? ;-D

[shelton @ Oct 10th 2007 5:34PM]

so, do you have to buy opera with wii points if you just bought a wii?

[Brett @ Oct 10th 2007 5:48PM]

Yes, you will need to buy Opera if you did not already download it, including new systems. It is only 5 dollars if I am not mistaken (500 Wii Points) which seems pretty reasonable, though I'm glad I got DL in early and free. You can pay with Credit Card right through your console, or pick up a Wii points card at a game store.

[Brett @ Oct 10th 2007 5:57PM]

PS: I typed the above post on my Logitech wireless RF keyboard with no problems. No functionality for mouse which connects thru same dongle, as expected, though at least it did not prevent keyboard from working. As already mentioned above you need to update Internet channel for keyboard to work within Opera.
Has anyone figured out a way to get "Enter" on keyboard to work as a "Enter" instead of just a "Return"? It would speed up logging into sites. Now off to figure out this new widget feature.

[divuer @ Nov 11th 2007 5:36PM]

To execute the Enter command from the keyboard instead of going back to the Wiimote just key in ALT+Enter

[Brett @ Nov 11th 2007 9:36PM]

Thanks!

[digitallysick @ Oct 10th 2007 6:24PM]

"everybody votes" is the stupidest thing ever. When i first got the wii, i thought how great it was going to be to play 007 goldeneye N64, and mario cart 64, with online multiplayer. None of this came to pass, so i thought, the everybody votes channel will let us vote on what games to get for the VC console, wrong! its really a bunch of people asking stupid questions like " which color is better, red of blue" how fscking stupid is that?

[Tavis Veighey @ Oct 10th 2007 6:52PM]

The voting channel is FREE and is just for a bit of fun! If you do not like it than do not install it, or remove it if you already put it in.