Wii U

The Wii U (/ˌwiː ˈjuː/ WEE YOO) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.

The Wii U is the first Nintendo console to support HD graphics. The system's primary controller is the Wii U GamePad, which features an embedded touchscreen, a D-pad, analog sticks, and action buttons. The screen can be used either as a supplement to the main display or in supported games to play the game directly on the GamePad. The Wii U is backward compatible with Wii software and accessories. Games can support any combination of the GamePad, Wii U Pro Controller, Wii Remote, Nunchuk, Balance Board, or Classic Controller. Online functionality centered around the Nintendo Network platform and Miiverse, an integrated social networking service which allowed users to share content in game-specific communities.

Critical response to the Wii U was mixed. It was praised for its innovative GamePad controller, improvements to online functionality over the Wii, backward compatibility with Wii software and peripherals, and price. Its first-party game library, which included new entries in several of Nintendo's flagship franchises such as the Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart series, was also well received. However, it received criticism for its user interface, hardware performance, and the GamePad's short battery life.

The Wii U is considered a commercial failure, with 13.56 million units sold worldwide before it was discontinued in January 2017. This was primarily credited to a weak lineup of launch games, limited third-party support, and poor marketing that failed to clearly distinguish the system from its predecessor. On March 3, 2017, Nintendo released the system's successor, the Nintendo Switch, which retained and refined concepts introduced with the Wii U. Most of the Wii U's exclusive games were later ported to the Switch.

The system was first conceived in 2008 after Nintendo recognized several limitations and challenges with the Wii, such as the general public's perception that the system catered primarily to a casual audience. With the Wii U, Nintendo wished to bring back core gamers. Game designer Shigeru Miyamoto admitted that the lack of HD and limited network infrastructure for Wii also contributed to the system being regarded in a separate class to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the Wii's competitors. It was clear that a new console would have to be developed to accommodate significant structural changes, but ideas on which direction to take for the new console led to much debate within the company, and the project started over from scratch on several occasions. The concept of a touchscreen embedded within the controller was originally inspired by the blue light on the Wii disc slot that illuminates to indicate new messages. Miyamoto and his team wanted to include a small screen to provide game feedback and status messages to players (similar to the VMU for Sega's Dreamcast). Much later in development, this was expanded to a full screen that could display the game being played in its entirety, a concept that was suggested but not financially viable earlier in the project.

Public rumors surrounding the console began to appear in 2008, with speculation of an upcoming revision of the Wii scheduled for 2011 known as the "Wii HD", that would support high-definition video and have a Blu-ray drive. However, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata later stated that he saw "no significant reason" to include HD into the Wii and that such an addition would be better suited for a successor. Miyamoto also expressed Nintendo's interest in working with HD graphics, but clarified that the company is primarily focused on gameplay. In October 2009, Miyamoto said that Nintendo had no concrete plans about its next console, but thought that the new system would continue to feature motion controls and also expected its interface to be "more compact" and cheaper. Iwata also mentioned that the Wii's successor might be 3D-compatible but concluded that the adoption rates of 3D televisions should increase to at least 30% first. In 2010, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé commented that he felt "confident the Wii home entertainment console has a very long life in front of it" and declared that a successor would not be launched in the near future.

After its E3 2010 presentation, Iwata revealed to the BBC that Nintendo would begin announcing a new console once it ran "out of ideas with the current hardware and cannot give users any more meaningful surprises with the technology". Later, at an investor's meeting, he disclosed that Nintendo was "of course studying and developing the next console to Wii", but it was simultaneously keeping its concepts secret because it was "really important for [Nintendo's] business to positively surprise people." Fils-Aimé also stated that Nintendo's next home console would likely not feature stereoscopic 3D, based on the 3D technology Nintendo had experimented with.

In April 2011, an uncredited source indicated that Nintendo was planning to unveil a successor to the Wii known as "Project Café" at its E3 2011 presentation. Café was claimed to be a high definition console, and to also have backward compatibility with Wii software. Conflicting reports also surrounded the console's new controller, with reports suggesting a tablet-like device with an embedded touchscreen and the ability to stream games from the console directly to the screen, while others reported that the controller would be similar to the GameCube controller and feature dual analog sticks, shoulder buttons, and triggers.