Wii U
Nintendo's 2012 HD home console with the Wii U GamePad, a controller with its own 6.2-inch touch screen, which also plays Wii games, for anyone comparing it with the Wii or Nintendo Switch.
- Type
- Home console
- Output
- 1080p
- Memory
- 2 GB
- Storage
- 8 GB – 32 GB
- Weight
- 1,600 g
What reviewers say
Reviewers liked the innovative GamePad, which lets games be played away from the TV, and Nintendo's move to HD, with CNET praising its best games. Both criticised the GamePad's short battery life of about three hours; TechRadar also found the menus sluggish and online features incomplete at launch, and CNET noted weak third-party support and a high price.
From techradar.com and cnet.com
Specifications
Report a wrong or missing specPerformance
- Type
- Home console
- CPU
- IBM Espresso (PowerPC), 3 cores, 1.24 GHz
- GPU
- AMD Radeon-based Latte, 550 MHz
- Memory
- 2 GB
- Storage
- 8 GB, 32 GB
- Disc drive
- Yes
- CPU
- IBM PowerPC-based tri-core "Espresso" at about 1.24 GHz (Nintendo; fail0verflow Cafe OS log)
- GPU
- AMD Radeon-based "Latte" at about 550 MHz (Nintendo; fail0verflow Cafe OS log)
- Memory detail
- 2 GB DDR3L, identified from four Micron memory chips (iFixit)
- Storage detail
- 8 GB (Basic) or 32 GB (Premium) internal flash; Wii U and Wii optical discs
- Storage expansion
- SD cards up to 2 GB, SDHC cards up to 32 GB; USB storage up to 2 TB (Nintendo)
Display and video
- Maximum output
- 1080p
- Built-in screen
- No screen on the console; the Wii U GamePad has a 6.2-inch touch screen, 854 × 480 (Nintendo)
- Video output
- HDMI up to 1080p; AV Multi out with composite, RGB SCART or component cable (Nintendo)
- Audio
- Six-channel linear PCM over HDMI; analogue audio through AV Multi out (Nintendo)
Design and power
- Weight
- 1,600 g
- Battery life detail
- Wii U GamePad battery lasts about 3–5 hours and charges in about 2.5 hours (Nintendo UK manual)
- Power use
- 31.5 W during gameplay in Nintendo's 2016 test
Connections
- Ports
- 4 × USB 2.0, HDMI, AV Multi out, SD card slot, sensor bar port (Nintendo)
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g/n (Nintendo)
- Controller
- Wii U GamePad with touch screen, two analogue sticks, motion sensors, NFC and approximately 0.3-megapixel camera; works with Wii Remotes and the Wii U Pro Controller
- Backward compatibility
- Wii games and accessories
Pros and cons
Pros
- Nintendo's first HD console, up to 1080p over HDMI
- Wii U GamePad with a 6.2-inch touch screen; some games play on it without the TV
- Plays Wii games and works with Wii Remotes
Cons
- 8 GB or 32 GB of internal storage
- GamePad battery lasts about 3 to 5 hours
- Slower CPU than the PS4 and Xbox One
Closest rivals
Model | Type | Output | Memory | Storage | Weight | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home console | 1080p | 512 MB | 12 GB – 500 GB | 2,100 g | Sept 2012 | |
| Home console | 1080p | 8 GB | 500 GB | 3,540 g | Nov 2013 | |
| Home console | 1080p | 8 GB | 500 GB | 2,800 g | Nov 2013 |
Previous model: Wii. Newer model: Switch.
Sources
- nintendo.com/en-gb/Wii-U/Hardware-Features/Specifications/Specifications-664742…
- cdn02.nintendo-europe.com/media/downloads/support_1/wii_u_3/WiiU_OperationsManu…
- nintendo.com/en-gb/Support/Legacy-system/Is-there-a-maximum-storage-capacity-fo…
- support.nintendo.com/jp/wiiu/pdf/wiiu_emanual.pdf
- fail0verflow.com/blog/2014/console-hacking-2013-omake
- copetti.org/writings/consoles/wiiu
- ifixit.com/Teardown/Nintendo+Wii+U+Teardown/11796
- archive.org/details/manualsbase-id-543711
- nintendo.co.jp/corporate/en/history/index.html
Photo: Takimata, edited by Tokyoship, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
