A number of Wii U owners have been complaining about the device losing functionality.

Users of Nintendo's new device, which launched and sold out in the US on 19 November, have experienced difficulties in installing a bulky update.

The software, which measures in at around 1GB, takes approximately an hour to download, and adds features like the Miiverse social network to the console.

However, users have reported their Wii U devices becoming "bricked," as a consequence of the update.

One such user took to Nintendo's Tech Forums to say, "I unplugged it during the system update and ... is not working," to which another user replied, "by unplugging during the update you have now bricked your Wii U, which will mean having to call Nintendo's ... Customer Service number to set up a repair, sorry."

Similarly, Ben Fritz, a Los Angeles Times reporter, recently tweeted, "Wii U has stopped functioning before I managed to play a single game. I tried to stop an interminable software update and now... nothing."

The device is set to launch in the UK on 30 November.

It has already been subject to a teardown, in which it scored eight out of 10 for repairability.