Nintendo Wii U: Video Game Console

In this hub I'm going to talk about the Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo's latest video game console offering in the ever constant console war. You are going to learn why the Nintendo Wii U is shaping up to be a strong contender in the next video game console generation.

Since the Wii U's tablet controller is the main pitch of this console, I'll be talking about it last. First, I will be mentioning the Wii U's major hardware specifications, such as the central processing unit, the graphics processing unit and the storage capacities for both the console and its video game discs.

CPU

The Wii U's central processing unit (or CPU for short) is going to be designed by IBM and is described by that company as an "all-new, Power-based microprocessor". As of the time of this writing, Nintendo and IBM have remained silent as to the actual specifications of the CPU (I suppose to try and hide the console's potential to its competitors, Microsoft and Sony). Of course, this probably all sounds like a foreign language to you, so let me just say that the power of this CPU is going to exceed that of the Nintendo Wii. That's all that will matter to the average gamer. After all, it's the games a console has that are usually the most important aspect of the hardware.

The Wii U's graphics processing unit (or GPU for short) is going to be developed by AMD and is going to be based off of their Radeon technology. Information currently available reveals that the GPU is a last-gen invention, but will still surpass the graphics processing power of both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.

Once again, Nintendo shows that it'd rather focus on delivering solid gameplay rather than the latest and best graphics, which is perfectly fine by me. Then again, seeing how beautiful games look on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 just cements the fact that video game companies in general, and Nintendo specifically, don't need to really push the envelope anymore on graphics. What we currently have will do great for a least a decade, if it's well used.

Of course, that won't stop video game companies from trying. Your mileage may vary on this fact.

The Wii U will not have an internal hard drive. While this sounds bad, it's worth noting that the Wii U will have 8 GB of onboard internal flash storage. You can add more storage space to your Wii U by plugging in USB flash memory sticks or a USB external hard drive. Considering how cheap storage is becoming nowadays and also the fact that Nintendo has always had efficient storage systems, the "no hard drive" issue isn't much of one for me.

As for the Wii U's game discs themselves, they will be a proprietary format with the same capacity as a Blu-Ray disc (in other words, 25 GB single-layer capacity).

The Nintendo Wii U will be completely backwards compatible with the Nintendo Wii. You can use Nintendo Wii peripherals, such as the Wii Remote, on a Nintendo Wii U. In fact, Nintendo has already shown interest in finding ways to integrate the Wii peripherals with the Wii U tablet controller. It also goes without saying that you'll be able to play Nintendo Wii video games on the Wii U.

There will be no way to use Nintendo GameCube controllers with the Wii U. Since some online sources assure that you can use Nintendo GameCube game discs with the Wii U's disc drive, something quite isn't adding up for me. I have to assume that the drive isn't actually backwards compatible with GameCube games, as it would make no sense to have that capacity. It would be like a PC without a keyboard if that was actually true.

The Nintendo Wii U will be capable of a good variety of video outputs, ranging from 480i to 1080p, while also allowing both standard 4:3 and widescreen 16:9 video modes. In gamer's terms, this means you can play Wii U games in HD, if you have a TV that can handle it.

Finally, we have reached the most important part of the Wii U: The tablet controller! For those of you in the crowd who own a 3DS, the Wii U tablet controller is going to adapt a fair deal of that system's innovations. Mainly, it will have a three-axis accelerometer and a three-axis gyroscope. In simple terms, what this means is that the tablet controller will be able to measure the speed and orientation you are moving it in, much like the 3DS or a Wii Remote Plus. In addition, it will have a touchscreen integrated into the tablet controller itself.

This isn't the first time a video game console has utilized this sort of technology. Some of you might remember the Sega Dreamcast, which had a screen in the middle of the controller as well (albeit, smaller than the Wii U's tablet controller). Of course, to the best of my knowledge, this is the first time that a video game console has actually implemented a touchscreen on its controller (the Dreamcast's controller VMU had no touch capabilities).

Nintendo is trying to integrate the tablet's touchscreen into the gameplay of their Wii U games. From what I have seen, they're doing a great job. The touchscreen will be used to either replicate or complement the things being shown on your TV, depending on the game in question. A Wii U Zelda tech demo revealed that some uses of the tablet controller's touchscreen in The Legend of Zelda could include showing Link's status (remaining hearts, magic power, keys obtained, etc.) and showing a map of the game area.

All in all, the Nintendo Wii U's controller is building upon already established technology, so I have no doubt that it will work great. Whether the gamers embrace or revile the tablet controller is another issue altogether, and one we probably won't find out the result to until the Wii U has actually launched.

In conclusion, the Nintendo Wii U is a solid contender in the ongoing video game console war. Only time will tell what will happen with this system and, as usual, it's the gamers that have the final say in whether the Wii U will be a hit or a flop.

Feel free to vote in the poll and then shout out about Nintendo in the comments section!

Until the next time, take care and have fun! ;)

-Winterfate