Wii U Specs Comparison

With the Wii-U announced today, how does it stack up against the current-gen consoles? We’ve taken the released Wii-U specs and put them up against recent PS3 and Xbox 360 models.

Playstation 3 – 360GB Slimline

Launch price: £269.99
Console Dimensions: 325 x 98 x 274mm
Processing Power: Cell Processing unit with PowerPC based core
Connectivity: AV Output, HDMI, USB 2.0, Optical Audio, Ethernet
Features: Blu-Ray Drive, Nvidia RSX Graphics, Cell Processor, Built in Hard-drive, Built in Wifi
Interface connectivity: USB / Bluetooth Controllers, Playstation eye / Move controllerSupported Formats: 1080p, 720p, 480p 1080i and 576i

 

Xbox 360 250gb Slimline

Launch Price: £199.99
Console Dimensions: 270 x 75 x 264mm
Connectivity: AV, HDMI, Optical Audio, USB 2.0
Features: Built in Wifi, 45 nanometer integrated CPU and GPU, ‘,Whisper quiet system’, built in hard-drive,
Interface connectivity: USB/Wireless controllers, Kinect Camera
Supported Formats: 1080p, 720p, 480p 1080i and 576i
Processing Power: Customized IBM PowerPC CPU with 3 dual-threaded cores

Wii-U

Launch Price: TBA
Console Dimensions:  45 x 165 x 255mm
Connectivity: HDMI, component, S-video, composite, four USB 2.0 ports and is backward compatible with all Wii accessories and controllers
Features: IBM Power-based multi-core processor
Interface connectivity: 6.2″ 16:9 touch-screen on controller as well as 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
Supported formats: 1080p, 1080i, 720p, 480p and 480i

 

Launch Price as always will play a major factor in the success of the Wii-U. There is no doubt that with the controllers design and interface, it could well be an expensive console, this is unfortunately something that we’ll have to wait for time to tell. Traditionally the Nintendo products have faired well against the Xbox and PS3, but with current drops on Sony and Microsofts HD systems, can the Wii-U really gain the initial boost or will the price be an off-put?

In terms of Size the Wii-U comes out on top for us. It’s all about the compact systems, somethng the wii always did well, so it’s good to see that Nintendo have not dropped this! Whilst the Xbox and PS3 have now undergone their “slimline” refits, the Wii-U is launching smaller – which is a bonus for Nintendo!

Connectivity would have destroyed Nintendo if they hadnt finally hit onto HDMI, it is however a shame that as a new console it does not incorporate USB 3.0. The PS3 and Xbox understandably do not have USB 3 y, but the potential for this in future models is high and could allow a much faster gaming experience, so the Wii-U being on par is a bad thing for Nintendo.

Now in terms of backwards compatibility the best example would be the Wii vs the Wii-U and the Xbox slim vs old Xbox 360. Harddrives and memory units – pretty key pieces of kit – were no longer available for use with the Xbox Slim, whereas the Wii-U seems to build on this error as ALL tech is backward compatible, leaving no wastages for gamers! This is great as it means people won’t necessarily be buying new kit.

About the author

Ben has written 303 articles for

A student at Portsmouth University, currently studying Computer Games Enterprise.

41 Responses to "Wii U Specs Comparison"

  • Timothy Larkin 07:02 PM 07/6/2011

    The 360 supports far more resolutions than noted. It also supports interlaced signals. I’d like to see the processor speed of the WiiU.

    Reply
  • Richard 07:26 PM 07/6/2011

    think this is a poor report,since when has XBox 360 had bluetooth? or even Bluetooth controllers ?

    and both Xbox 360 and PS3 do 1080i/576i video resoloutions…

    this is over hyping Wii U….

    Reply
  • Mac 07:29 PM 07/6/2011

    Why aren’t the units uniform? I don’t really think this tells us anything at all

    Reply
  • xino 08:34 PM 07/6/2011

    its great
    its basically Wii 2 HD.

    it still doesn’t feel 8th gen:/

    i’m expecting 8th gen consoles to use USB 3.0, ultra hd super surround sound

    the best thing about the Wii U is basically the controller

    Reply
    • Tom 08:39 PM 07/6/2011

      I completely agree.. many things need to shift to USB 3 now… Especially since they’ll be around years now..

      In terms of the controller, the way the golf interface went blew my mind!

      Reply
    • Jordan Laine 05:39 AM 08/6/2011

      I agree with USB 3.0, my guess is that the licence for 2.0 is cheaper than 3.0 and they want to keep costs down on this. The only thing that is going to output 4K in the next 5 years is the computer.

      Reply
    • dsfg 11:30 PM 22/1/2012

      what will usb 3.0 improve you don’t need it for anything except for external hard drives?

      Reply
  • GoNintendo - Wii U Specs Comparison 09:58 PM 07/6/2011

    [...] 360 vs. PS3 vs. Wii U Permalink [...]

    Reply
  • Wii U Compared to PS3/360 | This Is WiiU 10:05 PM 07/6/2011

    [...] Random ProdInc [...]

    Reply
  • wiiu?... hell yeah i will !!! 10:41 PM 07/6/2011

    its light years ahead of x360 you think the tweety bird demo was impressive well iv seen follow on demos based in tokyo down town and the graphics and twin screen shit going on is AMASSING

    cannot say more nintendo not letting that one out maybe tomorrow

    Reply
  • Wii U as in U turn 12:03 AM 08/6/2011

    I think the Wii U is crap, this console will be DOA. How much will be the cost of an extra controler? (think lots of $$$). How long will batteries last? (think recharging every day). How can it be a next generation console with out HDD (think DLC), and specially with a 6 year old CPU/GPU technology? Nintendo thinks this is innovation just becasue they put a stupid screen in the middle of the controller? I bet Iwata-san won’t be Nintendo CEO for too long.

    Reply
    • Ren 01:49 AM 08/6/2011

      The controller’s basically classic controller with a touchscreen and extras. Even if it costs a bit to make now, Nintendo will drive production costs down by the time the console is released.

      Considering the features, its battery should last longer than PSVita, without fail.

      Comments on downloadable content suggest it should have a decent amount of flash for saving data, or they know people who want them will buy external ones.

      The information on the CPU is that it’s in the IBM Power series, and is 45 nm, which points to the Power7. Power7 uses Cell technology, can have 4/6/8 cores, and was released last year. The rumoured R700 GPU was released 2008 and is between 2-4x more powerful than the one used in PS3; hardly 6 year old CPU/GPU. It’d run circles around PS3/360 and still have enough power to output to the controllers screen.

      Reply
      • Wii U as in U turn 05:00 PM 08/6/2011

        Nintendo is not revealing the technical specs, know why? because they are OLD, so Nintendo preffers to let people to speculate, like you just did. Today June 8, Nintendo stocks are falling 6%. I guess I’ll be right about this one. Iwata-san should take note and act accordingly. There is still enugh time to scrap this weird thing and do things right. It is becoming clear that the 3DS will be a comercial failure, Nintendo can not take chances accumulating a second failure with this Wii U.

        Reply
        • lolumad? 10:38 PM 10/6/2011

          Speculating? As in you speculating that the Wii U’s specs are 6 years old? Hmm… Herp Derp

          Seriously, you’re talking down on people for speculating that the Wii U’s specs are great, yet you’re speculating yourself. Irony.

          Reply
        • christopher sica 05:05 AM 04/8/2011

          right on nintendo just bankrupted all the other systems in one fell swoop baby wii u is fanomanble

          Reply
      • erikslev 01:54 PM 09/6/2011

        Thank you Ren! Your the only one I’ve seen so far on any comments that points this stuff out, besides me of course. Anyone claiming they know what the full specs are, unless working for Nintendo, is currently a fool.

        Reply
        • Ravyu 12:53 PM 28/9/2011

          You’re the biggest fool for thinking this comment. I think the one who wrote this is tad smarter than Mr Donkey over here ( that’s you if you have reeeaaalllly serious problems)

          Reply
    • LINK45454 06:54 PM 27/7/2011

      Actually it has a 2 year old gpu where did you get 6 years from, would you prefer nintendo used the most powerful technology available as of 2011? this would mean a fat ass console bigger than the original xbox and an inflated price point of at least £400 ($650) personally im fine with it using 2009 tech because its still a leap over current gen with a probable price of £250 ($400).

      Reply
  • matt 04:50 AM 08/6/2011

    Its based off the Watson Super computer its basically got a cpu with 8 cores and the Watson SC won on Jeperdy yes it beat the human brain so WiiU is comparable only to IBM most powerful cpu it basically runs circles around the HD 6000 series

    Reply
    • Callan 09:49 AM 23/4/2012

      there is no way anything could beat the human brain mate maybe how much we are using currently but not our brains full capacity not even the road runner supercomputer could

      Reply
  • matt 04:52 AM 08/6/2011

    Sony/Microsoft can only match WiiU now its that powerful

    Reply
  • Zachary Schultz 04:55 AM 08/6/2011

    xbox has bluetooth for the wireless controllers. CPU Speed is already starting the next gen of consoles so its ahead of current platforms

    Reply
  • Satan 03:08 PM 08/6/2011

    Are you lot really that stupid the Wii mote are bluetooth. FAIL!

    Reply
    • Karazu 09:35 AM 25/8/2011

      You sir, are the fail of the fails and the king of herp derps. Because the Wiimotes do indeed use bluetooth, they use infrared for pointing sensitivity, and bluetooth for console connectivity. So please, do yourself a favor and disappear in shame because you have embarrassed yourself.

      Reply
  • ostx 08:59 PM 08/6/2011

    I think we can now see a trend in how Nintendo operate / business model. Take the original wii for instance on the tech side of things its almost the same as the game cube. The innovation came with the totally new controller and the types of games that came with it. I don’t think they realized that it would be as successful as it was, it was a chance they took using last gen tech to keep production costs down and it paid off when the casual / party gamer took notice. I agree with ‘ Wii U as in U turn ‘ I think the 3DS has not had the commercial impact they forecast and developers are reluctant(ish) to jump onboard whole heartedly (some stating its just a DSi with a 3D screen). Nintendo isolated the hardcore gamer in favor of the casual / party gamer, problem is the novelty fades and if you continue to inundate the masses with shovel-ware your platform will run out of steam. The wii u is more of the same. now production costs of the current gen components have come down Nintendo have again took a chance and are looking to release a new console with current gen tech (not to say they wont improve in some areas but I don’t think we will see a huge difference in cross platform comparisons so keep an eye out on Lens of Truth and Digital Foundry. They are banking on the new controller being the selling point and with the current emphasis on social networking they are trying to tap into this current theme. Is it going to work? I think its an uphill struggle for Nintendo now, they have to capture the hardcore gamer while retaining their current consumer base and then on top of all that they have to compete with Sony and Microsoft in 2013 / 2014 when the Next Gen hits the market place.

    I would have liked to see Nintendo play it safe and release a wii 2.0 with HDMI and 1080p output while getting ready to go head to head with Sony and Microsoft in 2013 / 2014 for the Next Gen.

    Reply
  • aderitao 03:54 PM 09/6/2011

    Hey people Wait when wii u out, stop ridiculs critics, nintendo are not stupid. good or not, continue líder of vídeogames presents generations

    Reply
  • Slimline prod | Irisnicolef 08:34 PM 16/6/2011

    [...] Wii U Specs Comparison | RandomProdInc [...]

    Reply
  • christopher sica 05:09 AM 04/8/2011

    any one who says wii u will fail is freakin retarded this thing is going to blow ps and xbox into bankruptcy its freakin awsome just like 3ds which also blows psp out the water lol

    Reply
  • christopher sica 05:20 AM 04/8/2011

    i acutully feel sorry for sony and microsoft they dont have the creativity to best wii u and i love nintendo is finnaly bringin the power and it has the finacal power to dominate in the games department somthing which sony is lacking dont get me wrong i love sony but they no longer have the hard currency needed to keep final fantasy exclusive and its killing them but nintendo still has all the greats zelda is a an asset which they wiil never alow out there door sony should have shelled out the doe to keep final fantsy that being exclusive to sony would have sold millions of ps3s how stupid of them they should fire thier ceo and hire me lol

    Reply
    • Karazu 09:39 AM 25/8/2011

      I love nintendo too, but stop with your fanboy fanatics, post only if you have some convincing information to output. And don’t say you should get hired as ceo, you would not last a minute in the corporate world. And by the way, the 3DS so far is a failure, which makes me very sad to have spent money on one, fuck being an ambassador, they should have put good games on the table at launch, and don’t get me started on how the eShop started 3 months after launch. On the WiiU topic, the WiiU is a WIP giving more than a year for development and upgrades, and another thing, it has already been proven that the PS4 and XboxWhatevertheynameit will not be a leap in processing prowess like the xbox-xbox360 and ps2-ps3, actually by current standards, the ps3 cell processor is still future technology and there is still nothing in the current computing world to overtake it, with only the intel i7-970 series to come close but incredibly overpriced ($550 lowest price). So whatever the new systems for Sony and Microsoft bring to the table it will not be a huge difference, therefore the WiiU being a “few times more powerful” than the xbox360 and ps3 actually puts it directly within the competition. In the gaming console world you need cost productivity, and gross revenue to think about, you cannot just make a system with the latest technology and mass produce it because you will go broke, Sony almost did that, but they had their other company products to balance the initial losses therefore managed to stay afloat. Microsoft also did as such, but they had their hardware made out of Legos and crack making them break every five seconds, so on top of not losing money in production, they also had their other products for Windows based PCs keeping them afloat. Nintendo is a gaming company, not an electronics giant, but they made the right choice in making the Wii so weak because the future technology powering its competitors had too long of a lifespan. Nevertheless now when the price for parts and manufacturing is right, they will bring us a true next gen console that will be in direct competition with the processing giants we see today.

      Reply
  • Zachari Jn 02:15 AM 06/8/2011

    Wii u has a better interface connectivity than x-box or ps3 also it has a better conectivity and has video chating on the remote which is awesome

    Reply
  • enhder 01:54 AM 03/10/2011

    Nintendo releasing a console that is par with SONY and Microsoft is not a bad thing for Nintendo.
    The Nintendo DS and Wii were released sub par to the competition and the sales speak about the response from the public and being less than. There is really no reason for SONY and Microsoft to release a new console when the PS3 and XBX360 have not reached their prime or have been exploited yet. Nintendo bringing a console that even slightly better than the competition is a bonus really. People will jump into the Wii U because of the games and the new controller scheme. remember that the Wii is not much better than the Gamecube and so the graphics are still a bit jaggy, bringing Mario, Zelda, F-zero and all the Nintendo games to 720P and 1080P times with non-jaggy, well animated figures will be a great thing by itself. Adding new controllers scheme and bringing back the some classic remakes will also add to the value of the console. so all in all, I think that Nintendo will do fine with their next console release. Specially if the Vita can’t bring out tons of games.

    Reply
  • Jake 10:36 AM 18/11/2011

    I love Nintendo and all but i fear greatly for their market. I understand the current impossibilities in advancement far over the ps3 and Xbox 360 so their push to be only slightly above was indeed wise. However, the current fan base (even more so proven by you raging children) is in grave danger of going extinct. Sony and Microsoft are currently the front page runners of gaming magazines, online chit chat, and even talk amongst piers. I can only hope that Nintendo signs some contracts with the major game developers or otherwise no matter how they wow the public they will not gain enough sales to stay in business. I have heard they are trying to make a deal with the creators of Assassin’s Creed. This would draw in a huge crowd if successful considering the slightly crisper graphics. Even some of the games being developed for the Wii U look great. But honestly, most of the people even paying attention to Nintendo are either the open minded Nintendo fans or the child-like crybabies defending their precious Sony,and Microsoft. Nintendo needs to pull off a miracle here with this controller because I can tell right now most people will just say it either looks to complicated or annoying.

    Reply
    • Free Psn Codes 09:50 PM 20/1/2013

      I really don’t enjoy Nintendo games anymore

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      • iTunes codes 09:53 PM 20/1/2013

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  • Comparateur forfait mobile 02:41 PM 28/3/2012

    any one who says wii u will fail is freakin retarded this thing is going to blow ps and xbox into bankruptcy its freakin awsome just like 3ds which also blows psp out the water lol

    Reply
  • boss 03:58 PM 29/6/2012

    it would never be powerful ass ps3 is this new nintendo will have maximum 5-6 cores but ps3 have 8 cores whitch is much powerfull..and when ps4 out ther would not be much powerfull system like ps4 in next 6 year

    Reply
  • Conor 01:57 AM 15/8/2012

    In what sense are you using the word cores? If you’re meaning as in processor, a PS3 doesn’t have an 8 core processor. Computers don’t even have octacore processors, so a gaming system that is over 5 years old wouldn’t have that.

    Reply
  • Akash Singh 09:33 PM 27/12/2012

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  • Xbox Live Gratuit 09:42 PM 20/1/2013

    Meh i’m not a big fan of handheld gaming but the wii u doesn’t look that bad.

    Reply
  • Free Xbox Live Codes 09:45 PM 20/1/2013

    Ever since the PsP I gave up on the Handheld gaming but i wouldn’t mind getting this

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