Five years after the release of the hugely successful Wii gaming console, Nintendo has announced that their next generation console, the Wii U, will be available next year in 2012.
Five years after the release of the hugely successful Wii gaming console, Nintendo has announced that their next generation console, the Wii U, will be available in 2012. Nintendo has provided a good deal of information about the Wii U, although certain details still remain a secret. Here's a rundown of what we know so far.
The Wii U clearly follows in the footsteps of the original Wii, offering a gaming platform that is attractive to a wide audience. The Wii U, however, is poised to compete for hard-core gamers as well as casual users. The console will incorporate the latest CPU and GPU hardware to effectively render the next generation of HD graphics and (as Nintendo hopes) compete with Sony and Microsoft's next generation of gaming consoles when they become available.
Nintendo has said the Wii U will be powered by a multi-core processor custom designed by IBM. IBM admits that the chip will be similar in design to the ones used in the Watson supercomputer that defeated Ken Jennings on Jeopardy! The chip will use a 45-nanometer fabricating process and have amble on-board DRAM. At this time it is believed that AMD will supply the Wii U's graphics processor, mostly likely another custom-designed chip.
The gaming console, which measures a mere 1.8 inches tall, 6.8 inches wide and 10.5 inches long, appears to be very similar to the original Wii. The console will have standard input including one optical disc drive and 4 usb 2.0 ports. Storage space is provided by an internal flash memory drive, though this can be expanded either with SD memory card or external hard drive connected via usb.
The most dramatic difference between the original Wii and the Wii appears to be the game controller. The rechargeable controller, which looks a lot like hand-held gaming devices like the old Sega Game Gear, is the first to incorporate a (6.2-inch, 16:9) touchscreen display. The display can be used to play games autonomously or in concert with a larger display like a TV. Alongside the touchscreen are traditional buttons including two circle pads. Furthermore, the controls will feature a built-in accelerometer, rumble feature, camera, microphone, speakers, a sensor strip, and a stylus that can be used for sketching, navigation, and gaming.
From these details it appears the Nintendo Wii U will offer a welcome upgrade to the original Wii, adding support for more graphically-intense games now found on the PlayStation and Xbox. With the new controller and familiar Wii feel, however, the device should also continue to appeal to a large consumer base.
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