With its long overdue HD capability
and interactive touchscreen controller, does the Nintendo Wii U deserve a place
in your home cinema?
The Nintendo Wii U isn’t a next0gen console
in the accepted sense. It’s more a belated hi-def makeover for the original
Wii. Embellished with an on-trend touchscreen GamePad. Can it oust the PS3 and
Xbox 360 as the AV-Holic’s console of choice?
Nintendo
WII U
The system, which comprises the
lozenge-shaped console, wireless GamePad and an IR sensor bar, is certainly
easy to accommodate. The former is a nicely made unit, albeit one underserved
with connections. Output-wise there’s an HDMI port, accompanied by an AV
Multi-out for those still requiring a Scart or composite feed. There’s no
Ethernet connection, as everything is done via resident Wi-Fi, but you can add
a Wii LAN adapter if your connection is patchy, via one of the four USB 2.0
ports.
Nintendo has never been a brand to bandy
tech specs, but it’s probably fair to say there’s nothing particularly
revolutionary about the hardware beneath the hood, rumored to be a 1.24GHz IBM
Power-basses multi-core processor and 550MHz AMD Redeon GPU. Two memory
configurations are available at retail: the basic 8GB Wii U package and the
deluxe 32GB set (tested here) both paltry amounts by any measure.
The console is a slot-loader. There’s no
DVD or Blu-ray support. The unit doesn’t even spin CDs; it only plays Wii and
Wii U optical discs. Indeed, the system doesn’t support any other media
playback, period. In this day and age such a restriction seems
incomprehensible.
The GamePad itself features a 6.2in 16:9
touchscreen and, compared to the current rash of wafer-thin tablets, feels
pretty weighty (500g) in the hand. However, we can cut it some slack because
this is very much a gaming device intended for all and sundry. T packs and
accelerometer, gyroscope and geomagnetic sensor; plus a front-facing camera and
microphone (for games and video chat), integrated stereo speaker, stylus and Near
Field Communication (NFC) functionality/ for the most part, the touchscreen
mirrors what’s happening on the main output, but sporadically pops up dedicated
messages. As a user experience it’s literally all over the place. Image quality
is crisp enough, though.
The
GamePad itself features a 6.2in 16:9 touchscreen and, compared to the current
rash of wafer-thin tablets, feels pretty weighty (500g) in the hand
No one home
The consoles’ Home screen offers a
dedicated Wii TVii button, but this service is currently undeveloped in Europe.
Stateside and in Japan it’s a slightly different story. In those territories,
TVii is an integrated programmer guide that lets users browse channel listings,
filter by genre, take control of the TV and socialize online. No firm date for
a UK launch has been announced.
You can, however, download content apps
from the Nintendo e-store, specifically Netflix, Lovefilm and YouTube. While
the former are cookie-cutter implementations of the popular VOD streaming
services, the YouTube client is rather more interesting. Indeed, it’s arguably
the best front-end I’ve seen for the service to date, beating out even the
slick Google TV app.
From an AV standpoint, the Wii U is up to
snuff. It outputs 1080p and supports six-channel PCM audio – the mix on
survival horror Zombi U is particularly unsetting.
Wii
U is only an upgrade on the original Wii, rather than anything substantially
new
While gaming remains fun, the Wii U is only
an upgrade on the original Wii, rather than anything substantially new. Its
appeal as a multimedia device borders on zero, and with no BD/DVD playback and
TVii still unborn, it’s outgunned by the Xbox 360 and PS3 as a bona fide
entertainment system.
AV info
Product: HD upgrade to the Nintendo Wii,
with interactive GamePad screen
Position: Nintendo’s premium console
Peers: Sony PlayStation 3 Super Slim;
Microsoft Xbox 360
The verdict
Highs: unique twin-screen gaming
experience; excellent YouTube implementation
Lows: no DVD/BD/CD disc playback; no local
or network media playback; TVii dormant; no BBC iPlayer
·
Performance: 3/5
·
Design: 4/5
·
Features: 3.5/5
·
Overall: 3.5/5
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Specifications
·
3D: Yes. 3D capable depending on software
·
Full HD: Yes. To 1080p
·
Dimensions: 171 (w) x 46 (h) x 269 (d) mm
·
Weight: 1.6kg
·
Features: built-in Wi-Fi; backwards compatible
with Wii software and peripherals; 6.2in touchscreen GamePad controller;
NFC-capable; downloadable Netflix, Lovefilm and YouTube apps
·
Nintendo Wii U price: $450 approx
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