

Online functionality centers around the Nintendo Network platform and Miiverse, an integrated social networking service which allows users to share content in game-specific communities. The Wii U is backward compatible with all Wii software and accessories – games can support any combination of the GamePad, Wii Remote, Nunchuk, Balance Board, or Nintendo's more traditionally designed Classic Controller or Wii U Pro Controller for input. The screen can be used either as a supplement to the main display (either providing an alternate, asymmetric gameplay experience, or a means of local multiplayer without resorting to a split screen), or in supported games, to play the game directly on the GamePad independently of the television. The system's primary controller is the Wii U GamePad, which features an embedded touchscreen, and combines directional buttons, analog sticks, and action buttons. The Wii U is the first Nintendo console to support HD graphics.

The console was released in November 2012 and was the first eighth-generation video game console, as it competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. The Wii U is a home video game console developed by Nintendo, and the successor to the Wii.

Wii U GamePad, Wii U Pro Controller, Wii Remote ( Plus) A Wii U console (right) and Wii U GamePad (left).ġ.24 GHz Tri-Core IBM PowerPC " Espresso"
