Several hardware specs have leaked about the Nintendo Wii U. IBM stated in a press release that the Wii U will be powered by the same type of processor found in the Watson machine, which earlier this year won a round of Jeopardy. Other sources have now revealed the graphics chip powering the Wii U - a Radeon 4000 series GPU.
In additionn, Nintendo sent out a statement immediately following their E3 2011 pres conference, confirming several details about the Nintendo Wii U. First and foremost, the Wii U is a full-HD system, capable of graphics in resolutions up to 1080p.
The Nintendo Wii U system unit is approximately 1.8 inches tall, 6.8 inches wide and 10.5 inches long. The new controller has a 6.2-inch, 16:9 touch screen in the center of the controller. The controller does have taditional button controls, including two analog Circle Pads.
This combination removes the traditional barriers between games, players and the TV by creating a second window into the video game world. The rechargeable controller includes a Power button, Home button, +Control Pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons and ZL/ZR buttons. It includes a built-in accelerometer and gyroscope, rumble feature, camera, a microphone, stereo speakers, a sensor strip and a stylus.
About gaming with the controller, the statement reads:
"Visitors to the E3 Expo will see firsthand the type of gaming experiences made possible by Wii U and the new controller such as:
In single-player games:
*The new controller can display information on its screen that does not appear on the TV.
*The information and viewpoint can also change in the new controller based on the orientation of its gyroscope.
In multiplayer games:
*The player using the new controller can have a different experience than those looking at the TV. This will offer a wide variety of competitive and cooperative opportunities. "
Other Controls: Up to four Wii Remote™ (or Wii Remote Plus) controllers can be connected at once. The new console supports all Wii™ controllers and input devices, including the Nunchuk™ controller, Classic Controller™, Classic Controller Pro™ and Wii Balance Board™.
Media: A single self-loading media bay will play 12-centimeter proprietary high-density optical discs for the new console, as well as 12-centimeter Wii optical discs.
Video Output: Supports 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i. Compatible cables include HDMI, component, S-video and composite.
Audio Output: Uses AV Multi Out connector. Six-channel PCM linear output through HDMI.
Storage: The console will have internal flash memory, as well as the option to expand its memory using either an SD memory card or an external USB hard disk drive.
CPU: IBM Power®-based multi-core microprocessor.
Other: Four USB 2.0 connector slots are included. The new console is backward compatible with Wii games and Wii accessories.
StageSelect.com's coverage of the Electronics Entertainment Expo 2011 continues. We'll be bringing you all of the news to come out of the Nintendo E3 Press Conference, as the event happens. Stay tuned June 6th through June 10th for additional details on brand new games as they're revealed for the first time to the game playing public.
Sort By: