The Shortcomings of the Wii U Hardware

The only Shortcoming of the Wii U hardware that I have noticed is the Wii U console stands. I bought the Wii U on launch set up the console. played New Super Mario Brothers U. So the next day I turned on the Wii U console and it had difficulties reading the NSMBU game. This was resolved when I removed the console stands and place the Wii U flat. I have had no problems with the console reading discs since. So I recommend laying the Wii U flat.

That is the only shortcoming that I have noticed disc read error when using the includeded stands. Cheap "Blu-Ray" lazer?

Using the Gamepad tablet controller. Which feels awkward since it is extra long. It does not "feel right" The Gamepad controllers work well. But being used to regular controllers NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, PS1,PS2,PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360 etc. Adjusting to the long form factor of the Gamepad tablet is taking awhile to get used to. Plus if there wasn't a Message saying "Look at the Gamepad" I wouldn't know the look at the second screen at all. I have been using the Gamepad as a regular controller. I have to get used to looking at the Gamepad.

I bought the Wii U Pro Controller. I use that controller the most, When ever it is possible. Since it is Xbox 360 shaped. It is easy for me to use.

Here's the thing: Nintendo is trying to strike a balance with the Wii U and its price point because they want to appeal to both the casual market and the hard-core market. They made some interesting hardware design choices to try and keep the price point down as reasonably low as they could.
They also did not just pull the $300-$350 price point out of thin air. I guarantee you a lot of research and math went into coming to that price point.

The Wii was a hit because it did something different and also because it directly appealed to the casual market. That worked out well for them financially. (Which is also good for us in the end.)

Also, the Xbox-360 and PS3 have both shown that high price consoles can sell. Both of these consoles focused on the hard-core crowd specifically out of the gate - knowing that the hard-core crowd are the ones that will spend the extra dough for a higher price point machine.

I would not be surprised to see both the new Xbox and PS4 come in well over $400 possibly approaching $500. However again I think this will be their deluxe version with all the bells and whistles. And the hard core gamers will eat it up.

The causal folks will bypass it or - as M'Soft is hoping - choose to purchase their "entertainment only" lower-end model at a significant lower price point. But which also has the ability to be upgraded during its life cycle. (If rumors hold true.)

I don't have a Wii U yet but plan on getting one after the first of the year. What draws me to it, (and what has always drawn me to Nintendo), is the games...not the hardware. Frankly, in my opinion, many Nintendo games have a unique stylistic approach that would be somewhat lost if they were using photo-realistic graphics per se.

For some reason too - when I play on my Wii or 3DS - I find myself enjoying an experience. On my 360 or PS3 I often find myself just playing a game. And for me, there is a huge difference between having an experience in a game - and just 'playing a game'.

Granted there are exceptions - even on the major consoles.....but for me at least...much less so. (However I also realize this is somewhat subjective.)

In the end I think too many people get caught up in looking at the trees instead of zooming back out a bit and seeing the forest. The bigger picture...the overall experience. I think the Wii U has a great opportunity to bring a unique experience into the home. However the games that are developed for it will ultimately decide its final fate.

Just my opinion....

I don't see the problem. Gamespot is only pointing out some very serious issues with the capability and design of the Wii U. 15 seconds between menus, hardware that is already a generation behind, resistive touch screens? I have plenty of Nintendo hardware, but even Nintendo are taking a big risk with this console and they can't rely on their first party software IP forever.

andmcq

[QUOTE="andmcq"]

I don't see the problem. Gamespot is only pointing out some very serious issues with the capability and design of the Wii U. 15 seconds between menus, hardware that is already a generation behind, resistive touch screens? I have plenty of Nintendo hardware, but even Nintendo are taking a big risk with this console and they can't rely on their first party software IP forever.

bonesawisready5

The next consoles from MS and Sony will probably be 10-times stronger than their current ones, and will leave the Wii U in the dust...

Hardware will *not* be Wii U's strenght as there are already developers cancelling games for it because of it's too slow CPU...

I don't believe they will be that much more powerful than the Wii U or else they will be more expensive, like the PS3 was a launch. Sony at least won't make that high price mistake again. Xbox might but unless they offer free online play or free monthly titles ala PS+ with the XBL Gold program I'm not going anywhere near that console. I know from reading online and talking with my friends in person I'm not the only one thinking this.

[QUOTE="bonesawisready5"][QUOTE="andmcq"]

I don't see the problem. Gamespot is only pointing out some very serious issues with the capability and design of the Wii U. 15 seconds between menus, hardware that is already a generation behind, resistive touch screens? I have plenty of Nintendo hardware, but even Nintendo are taking a big risk with this console and they can't rely on their first party software IP forever.

nameless12345

The next consoles from MS and Sony will probably be 10-times stronger than their current ones, and will leave the Wii U in the dust...

Hardware will *not* be Wii U's strenght as there are already developers cancelling games for it because of it's too slow CPU...

the ps2 doubling as a dvd player when dvd caught on fire and sold like crazy is why imo..

same with the ps1 doubling as a cd player.... it was something totally new..

KBFloYd

The Sega CD and Saturn say "hi." By the way, neither of those systems took off in close to the same way that the PS1 did, despite the CD format. Sony just had the right model at the perfect time. It was a fresh face on the video game industry with just the right hooks and attitude needed to attract those they wanted to attract, both gamers and developers. Just thought that was worth clearing up.

How can the hardware already be a generation behind if it's got newer tech (that could be better) than last gen consoles (and more RAM to boot) and we don't have any specs on next-gen consoles?

Seriously, everyone just assumes the other next-gen consoles will outmuscle the Wii U, and I'm not doubting that they will, but to what extent and will it even matter?

The important thing to note, and people can't assume this won't happen, is whether the Wii U ends up being the PS2 of it's generation whereas other consoles are like the Cube/Xbox in terms of hardware power, or if it's like the Wii where the hardware gap is simply too big.

bonesawisready5

A solid point, especially about the part were people shouldn't assume that the other systems will absolutely crush the Wii U from a technical standpoint. Under that same token, you can't assume that it won't either. If you ask me, though, that's not the most concerning part about this Pandora's Box that the Wii U has opened. I think a bigger problem would be all of these "next gen" articles and quotes that seem to ignore the Wii U altogether, which makes it seem like Nintendo's new system isn't inspiring developers quite as much as some thought it would. THIS is what needs to be a topic of discussion, IMO.

My guess is that somebody knows SOMETHING about what it is the Wii U is truly lacking as a "next gen" system, but whether that's hardware-related or just a matter of trust and familiarity from developers, as usual, remains to be seen. It also doesn't help when you have Reggie Fils-Aime going out and comparing the visuals of Wii U games to current-gen counterparts, along with other side-by-side comparisons the system has to deal with in regards to the PS3/Xbox 360. Truth be told, the Wii U hasn't done itself a great deal of favors in differentiating itself from the other systems on the market to this point, let alone putting itself in a situation where it'll no doubt hold its own against the successors of the systems it's currently competing against. Just that alone can create the impression that some people may have about where the Wii U stands.

where is the article which you speak of? Ill read it myself to find out if they are full of it or not.campzor

This

[QUOTE="KBFloYd"]

the ps2 doubling as a dvd player when dvd caught on fire and sold like crazy is why imo..

same with the ps1 doubling as a cd player.... it was something totally new..

Madmangamer364

The Sega CD and Saturn say "hi." By the way, neither of those systems took off in close to the same way that the PS1 did, despite the CD format. Sony just had the right model at the perfect time. It was a fresh face on the video game industry with just the right hooks and attitude needed to attract those they wanted to attract, both gamers and developers. Just thought that was worth clearing up.

How can the hardware already be a generation behind if it's got newer tech (that could be better) than last gen consoles (and more RAM to boot) and we don't have any specs on next-gen consoles?

Seriously, everyone just assumes the other next-gen consoles will outmuscle the Wii U, and I'm not doubting that they will, but to what extent and will it even matter?

The important thing to note, and people can't assume this won't happen, is whether the Wii U ends up being the PS2 of it's generation whereas other consoles are like the Cube/Xbox in terms of hardware power, or if it's like the Wii where the hardware gap is simply too big.

bonesawisready5

A solid point, especially about the part were people shouldn't assume that the other systems will absolutely crush the Wii U from a technical standpoint. Under that same token, you can't assume that it won't either. If you ask me, though, that's not the most concerning part about this Pandora's Box that the Wii U has opened. I think a bigger problem would be all of these "next gen" articles and quotes that seem to ignore the Wii U altogether, which makes it seem like Nintendo's new system isn't inspiring developers quite as much as some thought it would. THIS is what needs to be a topic of discussion, IMO.

My guess is that somebody knows SOMETHING about what it is the Wii U is truly lacking as a "next gen" system, but whether that's hardware-related or just a matter of trust and familiarity from developers, as usual, remains to be seen. It also doesn't help when you have Reggie Fils-Aime going out and comparing the visuals of Wii U games to current-gen counterparts, along with other side-by-side comparisons the system has to deal with in regards to the PS3/Xbox 360. Truth be told, the Wii U hasn't done itself a great deal of favors in differentiating itself from the other systems on the market to this point, let alone putting itself in a situation where it'll no doubt hold its own against the successors of the systems it's currently competing against. Just that alone can create the impression that some people may have about where the Wii U stands.

nothing at all unfair in the articleGunSmith1_basic

[QUOTE="KBFloYd"]

the ps2 doubling as a dvd player when dvd caught on fire and sold like crazy is why imo..

same with the ps1 doubling as a cd player.... it was something totally new..

Madmangamer364

The Sega CD and Saturn say "hi." By the way, neither of those systems took off in close to the same way that the PS1 did, despite the CD format. Sony just had the right model at the perfect time. It was a fresh face on the video game industry with just the right hooks and attitude needed to attract those they wanted to attract, both gamers and developers. Just thought that was worth clearing up.

umm... i am sorry..no

the saturn and ps1 both came out at the same time in 1994....but the saturn was discontinued 4 years after...the playstation was sold for almost 10 years..

as for the sega cd...that thing was a peripheral...and only had like 5 games...and the games were horrible because it used the gensis to run them.

plasyation 1 was the 1st true and best CD video game consoloe made...and that's why it sold tons...well as much as the wii anyway..

[QUOTE="Madmangamer364"]

[QUOTE="KBFloYd"]

the ps2 doubling as a dvd player when dvd caught on fire and sold like crazy is why imo..

same with the ps1 doubling as a cd player.... it was something totally new..

KBFloYd

The Sega CD and Saturn say "hi." By the way, neither of those systems took off in close to the same way that the PS1 did, despite the CD format. Sony just had the right model at the perfect time. It was a fresh face on the video game industry with just the right hooks and attitude needed to attract those they wanted to attract, both gamers and developers. Just thought that was worth clearing up.

umm... i am sorry..no

the saturn and ps1 both came out at the same time in 1994....but the saturn was discontinued 4 years after...the playstation was sold for almost 10 years..

as for the sega cd...that thing was a peripheral...and only had like 5 games...and the games were horrible because it used the gensis to run them.

plasyation 1 was the 1st true and best CD video game consoloe made...and that's why it sold tons...well as much as the wii anyway..

[QUOTE="ronvalencia"]

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

Wii U has only 64-bit memory interface?

If so, that may be the reason why it's underperforming in the multiplats (besides the slow CPU, of course).

I'm not liking what I'm hearing.

I thought Wii U will be a balanced and efficient system but it now seems it's full of bottlenecks.

Could be the N64 all over again...

nameless12345

It looks like Wii U has Radeon HD 7570M type solution with eDRAM.

AMD Radeon HD 7570M +Intel Core i5 2450M running Need For Speed The RUN @ 1366x768 and ULTRA details https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR4pyigdDpg

The problem with the Wii U is with it's CPU.

Wasn't it speculated to have E6760?

But some other rumours are saying 4860M which makes me wonder if the E6760 is just a rebranded 4860M...

All we know about CPU is that it's lower clocked than the ones in PS3 and 360 and PowerPC type.

E6760 is a rename Radeon HD 6650M type GPU i.e. 480 stream prcoessor with extra registers for domain/hull shaders and split color ROPs and Z-ROPs. Both supports OpenCL 1.1. Radeon HD 7570 is also a rename 6650M, but with 64bit VRAM.

4860M is based on desktop 4770 i.e. 640 stream processor with Direct3D10.1 and OpenCL 1.0 level support.

[QUOTE="KBFloYd"]

[QUOTE="Madmangamer364"]

The Sega CD and Saturn say "hi." By the way, neither of those systems took off in close to the same way that the PS1 did, despite the CD format. Sony just had the right model at the perfect time. It was a fresh face on the video game industry with just the right hooks and attitude needed to attract those they wanted to attract, both gamers and developers. Just thought that was worth clearing up.

bonesawisready5

umm... i am sorry..no

the saturn and ps1 both came out at the same time in 1994....but the saturn was discontinued 4 years after...the playstation was sold for almost 10 years..

as for the sega cd...that thing was a peripheral...and only had like 5 games...and the games were horrible because it used the gensis to run them.

plasyation 1 was the 1st true and best CD video game consoloe made...and that's why it sold tons...well as much as the wii anyway..

The Wii transfer tool, Wii emulation, and the operating system are all SOFTWARE related issues. Issues that can be corrected in future updates. The lack of storage you can actually use with the 8GB model is a problem. The fact that the Gamepad uses bluetooth and older touch screen tech, along with complaining about USB 2.0 is practically nitpicking. The Gamepad is very responsive regardless. As for USB 2.0, I have Age of Empires III, Halo, and Doom 3 installed on a thumb drive for my netbook, and they work just fine. I seriously doubt it's going to be a big issue.

BUT, people need something to report about.

I agree and disagree with the overall point of this thread. I have a Wii U and I actually thought many of their comments are valid and things people should be aware of when buying a Wii U. Where else are they going to get this information. People should know that the controller only has a certain range which may limit what they hope to do with it. People should know the cheaper unit (which I have) is pretty much useless if you plan on downloading digital copies of games instead of buying hard copies. Especially after that updated knock your space down to 3 or 4 gigs.

Also, I personally was disappointed with all the day 1 updates I had to go through. It took me 2 hours for the initial update (and I have a good internet connection), then I had to update Mario and update Nintendo land and update Netflix. Pretty much everything I did needed an update first. When you have anxious kids hoping to play some games, all of this sucks. And while the 20 second load times going into and exiting from games isn't a deal breaker, it is very strange that something so simple, and something the Wii did in 2 seconds, would take SO long.

However, I really don't think the average consumer, or even the average GAMER cares that it only uses USB 2.0 instead of 3.0. Who cares? This isn't any problem since people can still easily find and use compatible HDDs. The same with the type of touch screen being old. Again, who cares? The controller isn't an ipad and won't be used for the same computer-like purposes an ipad would. It is used for gaming and as long as it works for the games, and the purpose it was designed, then anything else is pointless. Does it work for games and do what it is supposed to? Yes, and does it very well? So complaining that it is old tech for touch screens is like saying a combustion engine is old tech for cars so you should be warry when buying a new car.

I personally agree with the article. Everything said is valid. I just played my brothers Wii U and while it is a good system, it does have it's major flaws. Most of them can be worked out through firmware updates, but some we are stuck with for the entire generation.

I don't remember the 360 taking up to 15 seconds to load the options menu when it launched, but I do remember ports that looked like ps2 games such as Gun.

Anyone who disagrees with the article is simply defending their purchase because whether they are fixable or not, they are there at launch, and still there over a week after launch. I will be buying a Wii U when the games I want are out for the system.

I don't see how Gamespot is biased against Nintendo considering they gave SMG2 a 10 and planty of other sites are stating the same issues with the Wii U.

Wii U has 1.24GHz CPU

A 90s CPU in a 2012 console?

What were they thinking...

I don't see the console being capable of running next-gen engines like Unreal Engine 4 with such specs.

Maybe a very watered-down version but what would be the point, then?

The 3rd party support will probably cease the moment the next Xbox and PS come out and the console will only get iPad ports.

Or something...

Wii U has 1.24GHz CPU

A 90s CPU in a 2012 console?

What were they thinking...

I don't see the console being capable of running next-gen engines like Unreal Engine 4 with such specs.

Maybe a very watered-down version but what would be the point, then?

The 3rd party support will probably cease the moment the next Xbox and PS come out and the console will only get iPad ports.

Or something...

nameless12345

Given his background, I can believe that. It's impressive that the Wii U is able to pull Aliens: Colonial Marines, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, and other current gen games with those speeds - meaning he's right not to compare it clock for clock. Some developers like it, and others...not so much. Depends on the project, I suppose. When other companies bring their next gen offerings to the table, Wii U might wind up missing out on certain ports like its predecessor did. BUT, those missed games are what I have a gaming PC for.

Wii U has 1.24GHz CPU

A 90s CPU in a 2012 console?

What were they thinking...

I don't see the console being capable of running next-gen engines like Unreal Engine 4 with such specs.

Maybe a very watered-down version but what would be the point, then?

The 3rd party support will probably cease the moment the next Xbox and PS come out and the console will only get iPad ports.

Or something...

nameless12345

Wii U has 1.24GHz CPU

A 90s CPU in a 2012 console?

What were they thinking...

I don't see the console being capable of running next-gen engines like Unreal Engine 4 with such specs.

Maybe a very watered-down version but what would be the point, then?

The 3rd party support will probably cease the moment the next Xbox and PS come out and the console will only get iPad ports.

Or something...

nameless12345

Radeon HD 7550M has 400 stream processors with clock speeds ranging from 450 Mhz to 550 MHz, 64bit memory bus and support for DDR3/GDDR5 memory type. Radeon HD 7550M is also a rename GPU.

It's too bad the PowerPC G3 type chip didn't evolved into Core 2 type design i.e. Core 2 evolved from Core I/Pentium M/Pentium III-S. Core 2 has 128bit SIMD hardware.

More info on the GPU, http://kotaku.com/5964432/hacker-says-hes-cracked-open-the-wii-u-cpu-is-nothing-to-write-home-about

But one insider who has had access to the machine says that the console's impressive AMD Radeon-based graphics chip is off-set by a CPU that runs at low speeds, can do out-of-order processing but has fewer threads than the 360.

E6760 has 550Mhz clock speed http://www.techpowerup.com/gpudb/1903/AMD_Wii_U_GPU.html

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

Wii U has 1.24GHz CPU

A 90s CPU in a 2012 console?

What were they thinking...

I don't see the console being capable of running next-gen engines like Unreal Engine 4 with such specs.

Maybe a very watered-down version but what would be the point, then?

The 3rd party support will probably cease the moment the next Xbox and PS come out and the console will only get iPad ports.

Or something...

ronvalencia

Radeon HD 7550M has 400 stream processors with clock speeds ranging from 450 Mhz to 550 MHz, 64bit memory bus and support for DDR3/GDDR5 memory type. Radeon HD 7550M is also a rename GPU.

It's too bad the PowerPC G3 type chip didn't evolved into Core 2 type design i.e. Core 2 evolved from Core I/Pentium M/Pentium III-S. Core 2 has 128bit SIMD hardware.

More info on the GPU, http://kotaku.com/5964432/hacker-says-hes-cracked-open-the-wii-u-cpu-is-nothing-to-write-home-about

But one insider who has had access to the machine says that the console's impressive AMD Radeon-based graphics chip is off-set by a CPU that runs at low speeds, can do out-of-order processing but has fewer threads than the 360.

E6760 has 550Mhz clock speed http://www.techpowerup.com/gpudb/1903/AMD_Wii_U_GPU.html

GPU seems decent but offloading CPU processes to it won't save the day, imo.

Because if the GPU will get tasked with CPU tasks, there will be less resource left for graphics and other GPU-related processes (much like PS3's RSX shortcommings have to be compensated with Cell, leaving less resouce for actual CPU processes).

So the console will be bottlenecked by the slow CPU unless Nintendo fix it with some miraculous firmware update which would overclock the CPU and free-up the memory OS footprint.

But then the stability of the system would be at question.

GPU seems decent but offloading CPU processes to it won't save the day, imo.

Because if the GPU will get tasked with CPU tasks, there will be less resource left for graphics and other GPU-related processes (much like PS3's RSX shortcommings have to be compensated with Cell, leaving less resouce for actual CPU processes).

So the console will be bottlenecked by the slow CPU unless Nintendo fix it with some miraculous firmware update which would overclock the CPU and free-up the memory OS footprint.

But then the stability of the system would be at question.

nameless12345

For reference, Intel Core i7-740QM (1.73 up to 2.9 Ghz Turbo) + AMD Radeon HD 5730M/6570M** (1GB DDR3 128bit) can run Call of Duty Black Ops 2 PC with Max settings + 1280x720p at 50-to-60 fps. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zruKwU_OrkE

AMD Radeon HD 5730M/6570M has 400 stream processors @ 650Mhz and 26 watts TDP.

I have test my laptop with dual core CPU mode with 4 threads @ ~1000Mhz and it resulted in significant drop in frame rates.

You know...it's one thing to port over a current gen title like Arkham City to the Wii U.

But what is going to happen next gen when developers try and port next gen titles over to the Wii U? Especially if next xbox and PS4 come with 4-6 gigs of on-board memory as compared to the Wii U's 2 gig.

I would think this could be a siginficant issue down the road for development houses.

You know...it's one thing to port over a current gen title like Arkham City to the Wii U.

But what is going to happen next gen when developers try and port next gen titles over to the Wii U? Especially if next xbox and PS4 come with 4-6 gigs of on-board memory as compared to the Wii U's 2 gig.

I would think this could be a siginficant issue down the road for development houses.

Blurry_pixel

Crysis 2 PC with 1280x720p+High settings and 25-28 fps on AMD Radeon HD 7570M (64bit VRAM, DDR3) + Intel Core i5-2450M (2.5 GHz with 3.1 GHz Turbo, Dual Core with 4 threads) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIytR1NSDAQ The results beats sub-HD Xbox 360 and PS3.

If Wii U has AMD Radeon HD 7570M/E6760/5650M level GPU, the problem could be the CPU.

well.. i just read a news article about a professionals comments that the cpu isn't as underpowered as people are making it out to be. this cpu isn't from the dinosaur age ppl, the wii u is going to kick ass. btw mario makes me happy happy happy

You know...it's one thing to port over a current gen title like Arkham City to the Wii U.

But what is going to happen next gen when developers try and port next gen titles over to the Wii U? Especially if next xbox and PS4 come with 4-6 gigs of on-board memory as compared to the Wii U's 2 gig.

I would think this could be a siginficant issue down the road for development houses.

Blurry_pixel

Atleast developers doesn't have to worry about the lack of Shader Model 3.0 hardware features. The old Wii hardware can't even run UE3's shaders while the same era Geforce 6150 can run UE3.

If Wii U has Radeon HD 7550M level GPU, it has the same hardware features as the current top end Radeon HD 7970 Ghz Edition e.g. Shader Model 5.0.

PS; Shader Model 4.0 is close enough to Shader Model 5.0.

The old Wii's shaders (TEV) model is too far from DirectX9c/OpenGL 2.x Shader Model 3.0.