Wii Opera browser beta now available

by Alexander Sliwinski { Dec 22nd 2006 at 10:10AM }

The Wii Opera browser beta is available to download now from the Wii Shop channel for ... free. Free, that word just never gets old. Nintendo states in their press release that the final browser will be available at the end of March 2007 for ... FREE! The fun and joy of the free ends in June when Wii owners will be charged 500 Wii Points ($5 USD) for the browswer, but you've got a little over three months in there to download it for -- wait for it -- free! Wii owners have until March to test the point-type-point-type-point-type beta and after that till June to get it for free. Very nice.

See also: Can Wii break nongamer barrier with Opera browser?

[Thanks to all that sent this in and big ups to Engadget Japan's Ittousai for the pics!]

Zoomed out mode; great for The Big Picture™, not so great for Text Reading™.

Tags: Nintendo, Opera, Web Browser, Wii

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Marc @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:17AM

So.....it's free?

BlindsideDork @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:18AM

Ok, let's hear all the "haters" about "why would you want to surf online on a console" or about the no keyboard typing....just get it out of your system...

Done yet?

If you are complaining about that, just think of the OPERA browser as another channel for more games. YES more games, Flash games that is. Hit up Wiicade.com and AlbinoBlackSheep.com for flash games on the Wii. Granted they are no Zelda or Excite Truck but still, some can be incredibly addictive.

Marty @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:24AM

funny, Joystiq was the first site I tried when I downloaded the browser... Then I went to work....

bobman2007 @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:20AM

I really like this browser, but the only problem with it right now is the fact that it won't play Youtube videos, even though Youtube runs on Adobe Flash and the Wii Browser can play Flash games and Flash videos perfectly.

blessedbullet @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:21AM

1st comment... typed on my Wii too! jotstiq is my 1st favor on opera wii

matt @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:25AM

posting this from the wii! it has text auto completion which is nice

Abby @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:24AM

Can someone give me a rundown on the Wii Opera browser? How its working, pro's and con's, etc. Thanks.

zakchase @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:24AM

I'm too having a problem with YouTube using my Wii Opera browser. The first time I went to the site and loaded up a video, it played just fine. However, every time I try to load up another video -- or even the same one I watched the first time -- I get a message saying I must have Java turned off or need an updated Flash player. What's the deal with that? Anyone else have this problem?

Keg @ Dec 22nd 2006 12:33PM

It doesn't seem to play WMA files, so maybe some of the youtube vids are in wma format?

wei @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:30AM

for those with widescreen tvs, does the browser fill out the whole screen horizontally? i haven't gotten a chance to download it yet, and i seem to remember it being a 4:3 browser window on a 16:9 screen from a video i saw.. just wondering

kelekod @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:32AM

my first comment was on the Wii fatality that I accessed on the Wii. Couldn't get the video to work :(. So no video plays would be the first con I guess. It was easy to figure out (I skipped reading the instructions, but mastered it in minutes)

anghus @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:35AM

the thing that amazed me the most was using it on YouTube.com

The video and audio quality was actually quite good.

Jeff @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:38AM

I would hope the Opera browser for Wii would be free, given that the Opera browsers for both PC and mobiles are also free.

Wouldn't make for good press if Nintendo were to charge for something that's otherwise given away everywhere else.

Dan @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:52AM

Works great so far... can check my hotmail with no problems as well as youtube or homestarrunner, but some sites do stumble on flash content saying the plugin isn't the most recent version (while adobe's site says otherwise.) Very fast loading, I'll almost be using it more for casual browsing over my archaic P3 450.

Some minor bugs with secure sites (such as some of my university's course pages... will stop loading and return to main page) But keep in mind this IS a Beta version... all the bugs should be ironed out by then.

Seraya @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:42AM

Hurray Wii! My first comment left via the cute lila white box. :p

Fred T @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:40AM

@Jeff, yea, i dont think ive ever paid for a web browser, on any platform. This would be a first.

gman @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:43AM

i'm totally posting this from my wii
the best part about this thing is that every few weeks they release something new for you to do! ah wii is great

Dracula Jones @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:42AM

I'm having a video (not video player) issue. When I access the Internet Channel, my video to the TV scrambles and then cuts out. The Wii is still on and functioning because I can feel the controller rumbling if I move over something. I'm using a launch Wii with first-batch component cables. Anybody else having this problem?

KVN @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:44AM

Actually jeff the browser is free until june if you want to download it after that it's $5.

WhackMushrooms @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:50AM

FFS ... look at the joystick RSS feed URL in it .. much better reading.

Terry @ Dec 22nd 2006 10:54AM

I spent an hour or so watching videos on YouTube this morning with no problems at all. Using the "zoom" button on the Wiimote, I can now watch idiots blowing up cans of WD-40 and failing to completely get around when attempting to flip in full screen on my TV! Sweet!

And The Hun works too!

Xeroderma @ Dec 22nd 2006 2:41PM

It's working great for me, im surprised again at how well done this stuff has been (weather channel now this). As far as problems with youtube videos i had absolutely 0, i watched about 8 videos and a few twice. Then I went to wiicade.com and played some tactical assassin :) Im surprised how fast the loadtimes are also and it was funny for me to go on myspace with it and actually have the profile sounds work. I only wish i had a bigger television though :( *sigh* damn 20 inch television.

Adam @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:11AM

Hey Guys! Hope everyone is enjoying Opera! I have a request if someone could help me. Certain fuctions on my Wii wont work, but thats not why I'm here. Basiclly I can't get Opera the traditional way, so I thought ide try less conventional means. Can someone transfer the Opera Internet channel to sd card, and than transfer it to me over my PC. Givin that its Free Trial, Im not sure if its locked to a specific Wii on download. But Anyways, I thought it would be worth a try. Any help would make me so happy!!

BlackHeart @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:07AM

So the BETA is free, the final version WILL COST $5?

Airan @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:14AM

@BlackHeart
The final version will be free until June, where it'll cost 500 points. I still haven't got a Wii myself :/

pockyninja @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:13AM

I think everyone should keep in mind that it is a beta; video problems should be fixed soon I'm sure. The resolution on my TV isn't so great, but I bet it looks nice in HD. A few things I just figured out:

--Pressing 1 on the wiimote will take you to the Favorites page.

--Pressing 2 on the wiimote will open up a hugely-zoomed in version of the current page, making reading even easier than the zoom feature.

Entering text is a little bit difficult, I don't think the Wii will ever replace my computer (then again, I don't think it's meant too). Could be really good for showing online videos to my family and friends, though.
I hate to do shameless self-promotion, but I'd really like to see something like this:

http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/687/3313/1024/765551/wiiboard.jpg

jamil @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:15AM

i cannot seem to use flash content on my wii, including youtube. what am i doing wrong?

Flit @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:16AM

Can't wait to get home from work and go to Wiicade.com. Early Christmas for me!

danjo1 @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:21AM

lol pockyninja, would it have motion sensing? Just imagine playing tennis or baseball with that thing...

AssemblyLineHuman @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:25AM

A minor correction on all of the above comments: The final version of the browser will be free until the END of June, not just until June.

Adam @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:34AM

can anyone send me the opera internet channel via sd card via my PC. Please Please Please...Anyone...please

Fat Cat Lim @ Dec 22nd 2006 12:00PM

I like the Opera browser. Loads fast, and the zoom buttons help since the text is hard to see at default size.

Just want to check with everybody, but does anybody notice a small narrow black bar above the browser window when browsing web pages? I got that and the Wii cursor could go past it, so I don't think it's a monitor problem.

Things I'd like to see in future updates:

- Tabbed browsing
- 1-button Copy and Paste function
- Ability to save web images on Wii message board/SD card
- Smaller web buttons (for more display estate)

Rosti @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:37AM

Now I can't watch any youtube movies because it writes "you don't have the latest flash player or you have javascript turned off" and I don't know what's the problem, because it worked fine in the morning. Can someone help me?

Agent MOO @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:36AM

Why would you want to access the internet through such a limited interface? Don't people have computers?

damon @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:40AM

#9
I have a widescreen set and the browser puts a black border on ALL edges, but it is in wide format. [posted via wii]

The ZeroCorpse @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:45AM

I was all set to get a Wii for my mom and dad, who currently use MSN-TV (WebTV). The problem? The Wii has warnings against being used around people with pacemakers, and my mother may be in mortal peril if she uses a Wii!

It's a shame, too. They shouldn't have to pay a fee to MSN for Internet access on top of their cable bill. With the Wii, they could have been surfing for free.

Why did Nintendo go with a technology that can interfere with pacemakers?!?!

Deburner @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:50AM

@29 its on a tv duh

its nice to be able to just load a channel and instantly go to the web instead of going whereever your computer is loading the browser then going where you want

it will never replace it though and its not trying to

btw its a nice feature to have per say your traveling with your wii and don't want to bring a pc if you don't have a laptop

Deburner @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:57AM

@32 ask her doctor cause the wii controller may be no problem it may just be the system which can be turned on and off via the remote

you have to be like 10 inches away from it for it to hurt you I believe

algernon @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:55AM

the browser is alright... im kinda having a hard time figuring out the practicallity of it though when i have a computer already.

But it was good to watch some youtube videos on the bigscreen before something happened with youtube

Kevin @ Dec 22nd 2006 11:56AM

Youtube is not working anymore

Darkness @ Dec 22nd 2006 12:05PM

I wonder if Youtube upgraded or changed something, because lots of people are all of a sudden having problems with videos there. I tried it this morning and it was working great. The video was clean and the sound was good. It's nice to be able to watch videos in the livingroom on the big screen.

gman @ Dec 22nd 2006 12:09PM

i tried it early this morning and youtube did NOT work....buuuut then just kept browsing through other websites, came back to youtube and everything was fine. Maybe Wii Opera downloads upgreades on the fly?

bill @ Dec 22nd 2006 12:26PM

seriously people whats up with youtube not working. also gamespot doesnt work.
[posted via wii]

mykie @ Dec 22nd 2006 12:32PM

People in other places have been saying that Youtube and Myspace video has suddenly quit working...

the comments here are confirming this...

so what's causing it and how do we fix it?

zakchase @ Dec 22nd 2006 12:49PM

The YouTube issue doesn't seem to have anything to do with file type. As I posted earlier, the first YouTube video I played worked just fine. Then, when I started getting the Java and Flash error message, I went back to that first video -- which, from that point forward, wouldn't play.

.ed @ Dec 22nd 2006 12:43PM

hey everyone,

I'm DotEd, the guy who's face you see on the main Wii community portal page. (my.opera.com/community/wii/)

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

It's going to be a busy holiday weekend for me, but it should be fun.

Thanks Joystiq for covering the story!

.ed